Phillies' Latest Roster Move Leaves Fans Bewildered

The Philadelphia Phillies made a couple of moves for September call-ups on Tuesday, and let's just say the decisions left fans confused.

The Phillies decided to recall catcher Rafael Marchan as well as promote pitcher Grant Holman, neither of whom will excite anyone.

Marchan is particularly perplexing.

Philadelphia has J.T. Realmuto behind the plate, and Garrett Stubbs is the backup. Why did the Phillies feel the need to call up a third catcher?

It's not like Marchan provides anything that Realmuto and Stubbs do not.

The 27-year-old has appeared in 32 big-league games this season and has slashed .102/.141/.170 over 92 plate appearances. Since first breaking into the majors in 2020, he owns a lifetime .204/.261/.329 slash line.

Remember: Philadelphia would have had the opportunity to bring up Tommy Pham — an experienced, proven veteran bat — had it not traded him to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for cash considerations to start the week.

Did the Phillies really need some cash that badly that they passed on the chance to place Pham on the roster ... for Marchan?

Meanwhile, Holman is not exactly an appealing option, either.

The 26-year-old last pitched in the bigs with the Athletics last year, when he logged a 5.09 ERA and 1.522 WHIP in 20 relief appearances and two starts. He managed just 17 strikeouts over 23 innings and posted a 1.89 K/BB ratio.

Holman made his MLB debut with the A's in 2024, logging a 4.02 ERA and 1.660 WHIP across 18 bullpen outings.

So what exactly was the idea here by Philadelphia?

The Phillies have been playing some of their best baseball of the season of late, but they still could have used some reinforcements down the stretch.

Philadelphia is battling for a Wild Card berth, and while things have been looking good for Don Mattingly's club, nothing is guaranteed.

Phillies fans probably would prefer to never see Marchan again, and Holman was an odd choice given the other arms that Philadelphia had available.

We'll see if the moves ultimately work out for the Phils, but there is no question that they left much to be desired.