Castellanos Shows He's Ready to Play in Philadelphia

Nick Castellanos had his introductory press conference with the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday at noon.

© Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

Nick Castellanos is ready to play in Philadelphia for the Phillies. His fiery passion came out immediately after putting on a Phillie uniform for the first time.

Questions have been asked about Castellanos' defensive ability and if he'll ever be able to play third base again. Castellanos responded in character.

"Whatever the team needs, I have a Phillie hat on. I don't know how good of a pitcher I'll be."

Manager Joe Girardi clarified Castellanos' humor, "Our plans are to play him in left and right and DH and Nick talked about, he still likes to take groundballs... my eyes will be open when he's there."

It seems unlikely Castellanos gets any regular time on the infield. But stranger things have happened in Phillies history. Long time fans will remember Vince Velasquez and Roy Oswalt playing left field, so it's entirely possible Castellanos could see time at third base in a pinch.

Bringing a player like Castellanos aboard has sparked questions of managing partner John Middleton's willingness to go over the luxury tax since 2019. But it seems Middleton was willing to exceed that threshold from the beginning of the offseason.

"Every day John Middleton walks into my office and says to me, how can we get better, what else can we do, is there anything else I can do for you? Don't let anything stand in your way," said Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.

Not only was Middleton yearning to bring a player like Castellanos aboard, but so was Bryce Harper, which Castellanos described bluntly.

"Bryce also played a part in getting this deal done."

Castellanos' agent, Scott Boras, had a seat the press conference as well. He described Harper's role in bringing Castellanos to Philadelphia.

"Now I don't get four phone calls a day for the last month from Bryce Harper."

Harper has always been willing to give one hundred percent playing in front of Philadelphia fans. Castellanos understands that and understands what it means to play in front of a Philadelphia fan base.

"If you're playing well they're gonna let you know, if you suck they're gonna let you know."

Those are fans that have waited what is now a decade for playoff baseball to return to Philadelphia, something that Castellanos is equally passionate for.

"I've played over 1,000 big league games and I have zero playoff wins... I haven't won no games that matter so I would like to do that."

With Castellanos and Schwarber now on the ballclub, there's never been a better time for Castellanos and the Phillies to break that drought.

More From SI's Inside The Phillies:

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10. The Sad Story of the Phillies' First Black Ballplayer

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