Nick Castellanos doesn’t want no stinking advice from anyone who hasn’t made it to the big leagues.
The ex-Phillies outfielder expressed outward “disdain” for Phillies manager Rob Thomson and hitting coach Kevin Long and told teammates he did not trust the pair of ex-Yankees staffers since they never played in the majors, according to The Athletic.
Philadelphia released Castellanos on Thursday with one year and $20 million left on his contract, which was initially for five years and $100 million.
Castellanos joined the Phillies prior to the 2022 season and seemingly never truly fit in with the NL East powerhouse during his up-and-down four years.
His beef with Thomson and Long stood out as one of the reasons for why the pairing ultimately ended early despite the Phillies already being on the hook for the money.
It’s not unusual for hitting coaches and managers to not have enjoyed as successful careers as their players, but most major leaguers do not make big issues of the discrepancy.
Thomson spent several seasons in the Tigers’ system after being drafted but never advanced beyond Single-A, while Long made it to Triple-A.
Despite their lack of big-league experience, Thomson has been praised for how he handles players and Long has long been considered one of the top hitting coaches in the sport.
The Athletic noted how multiple Phillies had issues with Thomson’s strategies during games but usually aired their grievances behind closed doors.
Castellanos acknowledged in September how he only wants to hear from those who have been in his shoes.
“The only opinions that I honestly care about are (from) the ones that have carried the stick,” Castellanos said during “On Base with Mookie Betts.”
“The ones that have put on the gloves and put on the cleats.”
Castellanos and Thomson particularly had an ugly falling out.
One notable incident happened during a June game when he brought a beer into the dugout after being removed for a defensive replacement, which he acknowledged in a letter posted to Instagram Thursday, and reportedly yelled at Thomson and the coaches in front of his teammates.
Castellanos also took umbrage with where he hit in the lineup, per The Athletic, not appreciating that he occupied the No. 7 spot on Opening Day in both 2024 and 2025.
“You can’t disrespect the manager and talk to him the way he did,” a Phillies player told The Athletic. “You can’t expect it all to be the same after that.”
Teams are free to sign the veteran outfielder, who posted a .694 OPS last year.
The Yankees inquired about a potential trade prior to his release but received mixed reviews, according to The Post’s Jon Heyman.
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