Padres Add Nick Castellanos, German Márquez and Griffin Canning in Offseason Push
The San Diego Padres announced a flurry of free-agent additions Saturday, bringing in veteran outfielder Nick Castellanos and right-handers German Márquez and Griffin Canning. The moves aim to deepen the club’s lineup and give the pitching staff more swingman and depth options ahead of spring camp.
Castellanos joins after release, salary situation clarified
Nick Castellanos signed with the Padres just two days after being released by the Philadelphia club that had employed him the previous seasons. The deal with San Diego is for the veteran minimum of $780, 000. The former team will cover the remainder of the $20 million salary that was owed to Castellanos for the 2026 season, easing San Diego’s financial risk while adding a power bat with clubhouse experience.
Castellanos, 33, hit. 250 with 17 homers and 72 RBIs in 147 games last year. He spent part of the winter preparing to play first base, and the Padres expect him to get time at that position in addition to outfield duties. The signing gives the club another right-handed bat who can handle corner outfield spots and first base, an asset for balancing lineup matchups and covering injury scenarios.
The move follows a public rift late last season that led to Castellanos being benched. He has addressed the episode directly in a handwritten note, saying he regretted letting emotion get the better of him and expressing commitment to being a teammate. The Padres appear willing to integrate him and his veteran presence into a roster chasing a deep run.
Márquez and Canning add pitching depth; health and role questions remain
San Diego also agreed to one-year pacts with right-handers German Márquez and Griffin Canning. Márquez’s contract is a minor-league deal pending a physical and includes a mutual option that could increase the overall value. Canning signed a one-year deal as well and projects as a flexible arm who can start or work out of the bullpen.
Márquez, who turns 31 later this month, gives the Padres an experienced starter who has a track record of durability and innings logged earlier in his career. Coming from a hitter-friendly environment where he routinely pitched at altitude, Márquez compiled significant workload from 2017–2022. He has battled injuries in recent seasons and struggled in his first full return season, but pitching half his time in a much friendlier home park could help him rebound.
Canning is coming off an Achilles tear and is not expected to be fully ready for Opening Day. His versatility — the ability to start or slide into multiple relief roles — is attractive to a staff that needs options. At present, the rotation projects with established pieces at the top, and these signings are intended to shore up the back end and provide insurance against injuries and early-season hiccups.
Roster implications and outlook for spring
With these additions, the Padres have added experienced depth while keeping payroll flexibility intact. Castellanos’s potential work at first base gives the club a right-handed power option against left-handed pitching, and the pitching signings bolster a rotation and bullpen picture that had limited proven depth beyond its top arms.
Both Márquez and Canning will need to prove health and consistency in camp to lock down roles, while Castellanos will have to show he is fully committed to clubhouse standards and on-field performance. The organization heads into full-squad workouts confident these low-risk additions can contribute in multiple ways as the season approaches.
