A.J. Preller is always on the hunt for talent. On the day the Padres full squad reported for Spring Training in Peoria, AZ, their president of baseball operations struck again. Twice. The Padres agreed to one-year contracts with IF/OF Nick Castellanos and RHP Griffin Canning (both deals are still unofficial pending a physical). Castellanos is an interesting case because the Phillies spent $20 million to have him NOT play for them. A two-time All-Star, the 33-year-old had a falling out with Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson after an incident during a game in Miami. Castellanos took issue with being removed for a defensive replacement so he took a beer into the dugout and tried to talk to Thomson about his decision making. Castellanos says his teammates intervened and he apologized, but was still benched the next day as punishment. Philly tried to trade him but with no takers, they decided to simply let him go despite being on the hook for his entire $20 million salary. San Diego will only have to pay Castellanos the league minimum of $780,000 for the season, and in the clubhouse there were no concerns about bringing in a potential disruptive personality. “I think what he did in the other clubhouse has nothing to do with us, and I don’t think it’s going to carry over,” says outfielder Jackson Merrill. “I think he’s going to come in here and we’re all going to look at him as a new human being. I don’t really care or dive in too deep to what he did over there because that was the Phillies and we’re the San Diego Padres. I’m just happy to have him in the clubhouse, see his vibe and see what he does to help us.” “You saw him make his apologies for it and understood where he was, but heat of the moment, you know, guys get frustrated. I’m never going to hold that against someone,” says starting pitcher Joe Musgrove. “Sometimes getting in a new atmosphere and a fresh group of guys can re-spark something in you.” Castellanos will likely be used mostly as a designated hitter with occasional time at 1st base, 3rd base, and the outfield. Canning, meanwhile, is coming off what was both the best and most frustrating season of his six year career. The 29-year-old got off to a fantastic start with the Mets, posting a personal-best ERA over 16 starts before tearing his Achilles tendon. He’s expected to be fully healthy in early April and will be competing for the 5th spot in the starting rotation, which suddenly has a ton of options. In addition to Canning, the Padres will give J.P. Sears, Triston McKenzie, Marco Gonzalez, Matt Waldron, and perhaps Kyle Hart a real chance to earn the job (although Hart is more likely a bullpen option since his stuff was markedly better as a reliever in 2025). All of them have enough of a track record to think the rotation spot it truly up in the air. “Whenever you’re adding big league talent, guys that have been in the league for a while that have proven that they can have success at this level, it makes your team better,” says manager Craig Stammen. The Padres will hold their first full-squad workout on Sunday and play their first Cactus League game on Friday, February 20 against the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Stadium. ...read more read less