Phillies designate Garrett Stubbs for assignment
The Philadelphia Phillies designated backup catcher Garrett Stubbs for assignment on October 29, opening a roster spot as they consider changes behind J.T. Realmuto.
Stubbs, 33, had backed up Realmuto since joining Philadelphia in a November 2021 trade with Houston. The Phillies now have a limited period to deal him or expose him to waivers. If he clears, Stubbs plans to become a free agent and continue playing next season.
The move comes as Philadelphia looks to reduce Realmuto’s workload and improve its backup catching offense. Stubbs and Rafael Marchán shared that job this season, posting a .316 OPS and collecting a pair of hits for extra bases over 156 trips to the plate. Stubbs hit .153 in 65 plate appearances.
Across his Phillies tenure, Stubbs batted .212 with seven home runs and a .598 OPS. He started 128 games behind the plate, with 47 starts in 2024 his career high.
His contributions also included work with pitchers during game-planning sessions and bullpen practice, along with a prominent role in the clubhouse. He was part of five straight Phillies postseason teams after arriving when the club had missed the playoffs for a decade.
Philadelphia retained Marchán while removing Stubbs from its 40-man roster. The team is expected to seek an upgrade at catcher behind Realmuto during the offseason.