Nick Castellanos calls out MLB owners with unusual proposal
Jun 17, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos (8) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a run against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Philadelphia Phillies owner Nick Castellanos thinks there’s a big problem in Major League Baseball that starts at the top.
In an interview with MLBFITS, Castellanos was asked what change he would make to the sport if he were commissioner for a day. His answer was somewhat surprising: instead of proposing a rule change or something regarding how the game is played, he suggested implementing some sort of consequences for owners whose teams fail to compete consistently.
Nick Castellanos would like to see more consequences for owners who don’t try to win 😳 (@_alextantum) pic.twitter.com/nb8XvpNEyu
— MLBFITS (@_mlbfits) August 29, 2024
“I would change that ownership doesn’t have any severe consequences for losing for an extended period of time,” Castellanos said. “Just like if we’re in the big leagues and we don’t perform well we get demoted or cut, if their organization didn’t perform well, somebody else would have an opportunity to buy it from them. Keep it to where nobody can really own the game of baseball, because the game is above true ownership.”
Castellanos’ idea will never happen for a whole host of reasons. Obviously, MLB is not going to start trying to compel owners to sell franchises just because the team has not won in a while, though there are certainly some fanbases that would love that. More realistically, contending in the sport can be easier said than done. Steve Cohen and the New York Mets certainly found that out the hard way in 2023 after spending a lot of money in pursuit of a championship.
Castellanos has never been shy about how much he appreciates that the Phillies are committed to fielding a contender. Ultimately, MLB can only do so much to encourage other owners to follow suit.
