Garrett Stubbs to remain in Phillies organization
Garrett Stubbs is back in the Phillies organization. He was send outright to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after clearing waivers, the Phillies announced on Saturday afternoon. He was designated for assignment by the team on Wednesday after not making the opening day roster. Stubbs was out of minor league options in 2026.
Stubbs will go back to Lehigh Valley and catch for the IronPigs. He spent most of last season in Triple-A before being recalled when rosters expanded to 28 players in September.
The Phillies considered rostering Stubbs as a super utility player. He played left field and third base during spring training. The Phillies went with Dylan Moore over Stubbs for the final roster spot on the bench. Rafael Marchan won the backup catcher role over Stubbs.
Informing Stubbs of the Phillies’ decision was tough for manager Rob Thomson, who loved having him around.
“For him personally, I hope he gets a big league job,” Thomson said before Opening Day. “For me personally, the organization, we hope he comes back. He’s meant so much to this place, the energy that he brings, the type of teammate that he is. And he’s a good player 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.
“I think he showed just enough in spring training that he is a potential super utility guy that can play anywhere in the outfield, play anywhere in the infield. Maybe not first base, but also catch. That was a tough conversation. One of the toughest ones I’ve ever had because I just think so highly of him.”
Stubbs, acquired in a trade with the Astros in November 2021, was the Phillies’ primary backup catcher from 2022 to 2024. If one of either J.T. Realmuto or Marchan gets hurt, Stubbs is likely to be added back to the roster.
Stubbs is on a split contract that reportedly pays him $575,000 in the minors and $975,000 in the majors. He had the option to reject the minor league assignment, but would have had to forfeit his higher-than-average minor league salary.