The Philadelphia Phillies' roster was mostly set heading into Spring Training but one of the few battles was for the backup catcher position. Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchán competed to back up starter J.T. Realmuto and the debate raged on throughout Grapefruit League play.
Neither catcher did much to hurt their chances during Spring Training. Stubbs hit .286/.423/.381 with four RBI in 26 plate appearances and seemed to have the inside track after serving as the Phillies’ backup catcher for the past three seasons. But Marchán seemed to be gaining ground despite a .261/.346/.304 line in 26 plate appearances this spring.
It led to a decision being made on Thursday morning and gave Phillies fans a surprising result as they head into the March 27 opener against the Washington Nationals.
Rafael Marchán Beats Out Garrett Stubbs for Phillies' Backup Catcher Spot
According to multiple reports including MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, the Phillies have optioned Stubbs to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The move means that Marchán will start the season as Philadelphia’s backup catcher and could begin a big league career that many have been anticipating.
Marchán came to the Phillies as an international free agent signing in 2016 and made his major league debut, appearing in three games during the 2020 season. But his breakout didn’t come until 2023 when Marchán hit .297/.391/.440 in 51 games at Triple-A. That season made some Phillies fans believe it would be a matter of time before the Venezuelan would catch Stubbs for the backup job and he performed well during a call-up last year, hitting .294/.345/.549 with three homers and six RBI in 17 games.
Meanwhile, Stubbs had a steady role in Philadelphia behind Realmuto despite a lack of production. The 31-year-old hit .222/.305/.628 with seven homers and 39 RBI in 141 games for the Phillies in three seasons but just .206/.287/.271 with two home runs and 23 RBI over the past two seasons.
There was also a firestorm over Stubbs’s comments about jumping in the pool at Chase Field if the Phillies had defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 National League Championship Series. Philadelphia held a 2-0 lead when the series shifted to Phoenix but the Diamondbacks won four of the next five games – including Games 6 and 7 at Citizen’s Bank Park to win the pennant.
Perhaps that was the reason Phillies fans wanted Marchán to win the job. And with no minor league options remaining, Marchán may have had the inside track all along. But the decision to keep him on the roster has been made and adds an interesting development to the Phillies roster that seems more like a fluid situation ahead of Opening Day.