Garrett Stubbs optioned to Triple-A, Rafael Marchan will be backup catcher

The Phillies have made their backup catcher decision.

Garrett Stubbs has been optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the team announced on Thursday, clearing the way for Rafael Marchan to start 2025 as the backup catcher.

This move may come as a surprise for some, but when you look at it from an option standpoint, it does not. Stubbs has an option, and Marchan has none. If the Phillies were to have Stubbs on the Opening Day roster, Marchan would have been on the waiver wire, and another team could have acquired him. With how thin this organization’s catching depth is, this is the right transaction.

“It’s not the first time I’ve ever been sent down,” Stubbs said in Clearwater, Florida on Thursday. “Getting that tap on the shoulder again is not a good feeling. Obviously knew it was a possibility coming into spring training.”

The Phillies said that it would be a competition for the backup catcher spot. If one outperformed the other, the contract situation and options would not matter. However, it was always an uphill battle for Stubbs. He appeared in 10 games and hit .286 with two doubles, while Marchan hit .250 in 28 plate appearances prior to Thursday’s game against the Braves. Stubbs outmatched Marchan statistically, but it proved not to make a difference.

Stubbs has backed up J.T. Realmuto for the past three seasons, appearing in 142 contests. In 460 at-bats over those three years, Stubbs is hitting just .215 with a .605 OPS. In 2024, he posted a slash line of .207/..296/.262 with a measly OPS of .558. His barrel rate last season was 0.0, meaning he did not barrel up one ball in 2024.

His defense is much better, though. His pop-time of 1.88 seconds is in the top 92nd percentile in the league, along with catching 22 runners stealing with the Phillies, good for a 22.7 caught-stealing percentage. He also is vital in scouting and putting together game plans for the pitching staff.

Perhaps he is most notable for his celebrations in the clubhouse.

“I’ve created a lot of really incredible friendships,” Stubbs said, who will be the next catcher up if an injury occurs. “Obviously, I feel like I’ve had a huge impact on how we operate as a team collectively.”

Not only is this a message to Stubbs that he has to improve, but this serves as a message to the team that everyone is being held accountable, even the “hype man backup catcher.” If you are not performing on the field when the Phillies need you to, adjustments will be made.

“And I know when I’m in Triple-A, then I’ll be doing the only thing I know how, which is one, staying prepared for myself and getting myself better to be able to contribute when I do come up, but also prepare the other guys in the same way that I did in the big leagues.”

Marchan, now, earns the chance to show if he can be a reliable backup catcher in the majors. The 26-year-old has dealt with a lot of injuries since the Phillies signed him as an amateur free agent in 2015, at age 16. But when healthy, he is a very good catcher and an excellent hitter from the left side of the plate. He, in fact, has a better OPS in the majors (.811) than he did in the minors (.676). Granted, he has only made 21 plate appearances in the bigs.

In other Phillies news, Brandon Marsh will officially be the everyday center fielder. He was originally going to be platooning with Johan Rojas, but the Phils are going to give Marsh a shot to play every day. Does this mean Rojas will start the season in Triple-A with Stubbs? Possibly. Opening Day is a week away, so it will become more clear over the next few days.

Ranger Suarez is dealing with what the team is calling mild back stiffness. He will not start Friday as was initially intended. The injury is not as bad as last year, Rob Thomson said. Suarez’s availability is now in question, which is not good considering we are seven days away from Game 1. We could see Taijuan Walker in the rotation to start the year if Suarez is not ready to go. Walker this spring has an ERA of 6.92 in 13 innings.

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