Nick Castellanos was a question mark when the San Diego Padres acquired him, but he's done well at first base so far.
When the San Diego Padres signed Nick Castellanos, the move was viewed as a low-cost, high-risk endeavor. The risk was based on some of the outfielder’s explosive antics with the Philadelphia Phillies and the possibility that they might transfer to the Padres’ clubhouse.
But that hasn’t happened so far. Instead the Padres are giving Castellanos an extended look at first base, with the understanding that any reluctance or questionable behavior would get him released far faster than it did with the Phillies.
Castellanos is making progress at his new position, and he’s had his moments on offense. He’s currently hitting .235 with one home run and six RBIs in 34 at-bats, which may be enough to earn him a roster spot going forward, but for Castellanos the most important part of the transition has been getting to experience playing first base in game situations, according to Perla Paredes of MLB.com.
“You can't practice game situations,” Castellanos said. “So every time that you're in a game, a new situation can present itself. The more time that you're over there during the game, situations start to become repetitive.”
So far Castellanos is getting plenty of reps at his new prospective home. He’s played in seven games at first, Paredes noted, and he’s recorded 34 putouts in 41 changes to go with six assists and just one error, which comes out to a fielding percentage of .976.
He’s also been leaning on his new teammates for help, which is creating some positive chemistry as well. Gavin Sheets, Ty France and former Padres first baseman are among the corner infielders giving Castellanos tips, although he doesn’t always get to use them right away.
“Just traits, how they like to straddle the bag, where they'll play certain guys in certain positions,” Castellanos said. “Little nuances of the game that they've learned with all the games they've played over [at first].”
His new manager, Craig Stammen, is impressed so far. Stammen has played the game as a reliever, which is apparently eliminating the rancor that happened between Castellanos and manager Rob Thomson in Philadelphia, who never played at the big league level.
“A lot of people think it's an easy position to play, but it's very difficult,” manager Craig Stammen said. “He’s working really hard over there and putting in a ton of work. He’s doing a great job so far, and we’re looking forward to seeing him out there more often.”
Castellanos has also taken some turns in the outfield with no issues, which is a positive development given the issues related to his poor defensive metrics with the Phillies. He says he’s learning first base with “a lot of enthusiasm and joy,” but France is the clear leader so far in this particular positional battle, so the question is whether Castellanos has done enough to actually make the team when the Padres break camp.