Phillies exploring trade market for 32-year-old fan favorite backup catcher

The Philadelphia Phillies are contemplating a change at catcher behind J.T. Realmuto before Opening Day. 

According to several reports, Rafael Marchan won the backup catcher job out of spring training, leaving veteran Garrett Stubbs with no place on the Major League roster. 

Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Inquirer adds that the NL East club will attempt to find a trade suitor for the 32-year-old Stubbs.

“He knows he’s not going to make the club,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Sunday. “We will continue to talk to clubs to see if somebody has major-league interest in him until Wednesday, which is when our Opening Day roster has to be filed.”

Stubbs, a left-handed hitter, debuted in 2019 with the Houston Astros and joined the Phillies in 2022, never surpassing 54 games played in a single season with the organization. 

Finding a trade suitor for Stubbs 

Every club needs a backup catcher for a grueling 162-game season. But if the Phillies cannot find a trade partner for Stubbs by Wednesday, he could start the year at Triple-A. He owns a .221/.304/.323 slash line with seven home runs in 146 games with Philadelphia. 

A return to the Astros could emerge as one possibility. Yainer Diaz's backup, Cesar Salazar, has just 67 Major League plate appearances under his belt heading into the season. 

In recent seasons, the Tampa Bay Rays have been a revolving door for backstops, and a greater need for depth at the position could spur trade discussions. 

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