The Philadelphia Phillies made a difficult roster decision right before Opening Day, designating catcher Garrett Stubbs for assignment. While it was a move that had to be made and was the right one, it sounds like it bothered some of the Phillies’ decision makers.
Skipper Rob Thomson spoke about it and even vouched for him to get a big league job elsewhere.
“For him personally, I hope he gets a big-league job. For me personally and for the organization, we hope he comes back,” Thomson said, per Corey Seidman.
“He's meant so much to this place, the energy that he brings, the type of teammate that he is,” Thomson added. “And he's a good player, too, on top of that. Unfortunately, when he was here, he was behind the best catcher in baseball so he didn't get a whole lot of playing time.”
According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Phillies tried to trade him but have had no luck yet.
“The Phillies are going to start the season with Rafael Marchán as J.T. Realmuto‘s backup catcher. That will squeeze out Garrett Stubbs. Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Phils will try to trade Stubbs to another club before Opening Day rosters need to be set on Wednesday.
“Realmuto has taken the majority of the playing time behind the plate in Philadelphia for seven seasons now. He became a free agent after last year’s campaign but re-signed with the Phils on a new three-year deal. Stubbs and Marchán have both served as his backup in recent years, often with the other getting regular playing time in the minors. Marchán exhausted his final option season in 2024 and Stubbs exhausted his final option last year. Going into 2026, push would have to come to shove if all three were healthy at the end of camp.”
Playing behind an elite, everyday catcher like JT Realmuto limited Stubbs’ opportunities. However, when he played, he could’ve done more, hitting .207 with a 57 OPS+ in 54 games during the 2024 season.
This is the tough part of the business and something he’ll have to figure out.