For the first time since 2021, the Phillies won’t have Garrett Stubbs in their major league clubhouse.

Stubbs was optioned to Triple-A Thursday morning, setting up Rafael Marchan to take on the backup catcher role behind JT Realmuto.

The move wasn’t really a surprise to anyone, but it’s still hilarious that Zolecki wrapped up 250k+ views on a tweet about a backup catcher. Phillies fans love arguing about the backup catcher.

Marchan came into camp with an advantage over Stubbs due to the number of remaining options. Stubbs had 1, Marchan had 0. The Phillies are very thin with catching depth in their organization. They didn’t want to lose Stubbs, and if they didn’t add Marchan to the Opening Day roster, he would’ve ended up on waivers and most definitely picked up by another team. The Phillies didn’t really have a choice.

You may like Stubbs, you may not. But he’s been the backup catcher for the Phillies for the last three years, and does a lot more than just play once a week. Stubbs has been crucial in the game planning for Phillies pitchers, helping out the rotation and Realmuto behind the scenes in preparation for games. And yes, I know a lot of you reading this hate this word, but he brought the vibes.


Zolecki at MLB.com:

“I’ve done nothing but try to win baseball games in the big leagues for this organization, and we’ve done that a lot in the last three years. So [I’ll] just continue to try to find ways to help the organization win in whatever way I can. … All I care about is winning, and that’s what I’ve done my whole career. I hope to do that in Triple-A for that team, and also because it’ll be preparing guys to learn how to win when they get to the big leagues.” 

Before we dig into more on Marchan, I just want to remind you that Stubbs’ comments about the pool at Chase Field had absolutely nothing to do with the Phillies losing Games 6 and 7 at home to the Diamondbacks in 2023.

Marchan is finally getting his chance, and he’s excited about it, as is the entire Phillies organization. We got a glimpse of Marchan last year when Realmuto went on the IL, and he stood out. Not just to fans, but around the clubhouse. Marchan slashed .294/.345/.549 with an .894 OPS with 3 HRs, 6 RBIs, and 15 hits across 15 appearances in 2024.

Nagging injuries have put Marchan at a disadvantage throughout the last few years, and that will be the test in 2025. Can Marchan stay healthy for a whole season and play twice a week to give JT Realmuto some time off of his feet? The Phillies hope so. Not playing every day should help the injury bug. Marchan, just 26 years old, has pop in his swing. He hits from both sides of the plate. If he stays healthy, he’s a great backup for Realmuto. I, along with a lot of people, am excited to see what Marchan can do with a real opportunity.

“I’m just happy. I’ve been waiting for this for so long. I’ve been with this team for a while, and it makes me feel like I’m doing a good job to be part of this group.” – Rafael Marchan via MLB.com