Last season the Phillies decision on who to keep as the backup catcher to J.T. Realmuto came down to different contract situations. Garrett Stubbs had an option remaining and could be sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley without risk of losing him, but Rafael Marchan was out of options, so he would have had to get through waivers in order for the Phillies to send him to Lehigh Valley.
Say what you will about Rafael Marchan, but he is a switch-hitting catcher who is solid defensively, and with regular playing time has shown that he can hit, and has some power in his bat. Faced with their choices, the Phillies optioned out Stubbs and he took it like the pro that he is; he went to Lehigh Valley, had a good season, and was a Godsend to young pitchers on the staff. Andrew Painter especially credited him with helping him through a season in which the young right-hander struggled for the first time as a pro. When rosters expanded, Stubbs was recalled and regained his spot as both a favorite in the clubhouse and with fans.
This season the intrigue grows. Both Stubbs and Marchan are now out of options and starting catcher J.T. Realmuto is a free agent, who may or may not be back with the club in 2026. This is the week when teams and players have some decisions to make and one of the tough ones for the Phillies concerns their backup catching situation. The deadline to offer players contracts for next season is Saturday and both Stubbs and Marchan are unsigned, but do not have the service time to qualify for free agency.
While we’re not talking big money here, the Phillies still have to make decisions on both players. It’s estimated that Marchan would get somewhere in the neighborhood of $1-million and Stubbs would come in around $925-thousand through arbitration. If the Phillies don’t offer a contract for next season, Stubbs and/or Marchan would be considered non-tendered and instantly become a free agent. If they do offer one or both of them a contract, the two sides would have to negotiate a deal or go to arbitration.
Most analysts believe Stubbs, who is older than Marchan by six years is more likely to be non-tendered. That wouldn’t necessarily mean the Phillies would lose him via free agency. Like Realmuto, the team would could re-sign him at an agreed upon value. Being allowed to shop his services though, Stubbs may find a better fit elsewhere.
It’s unlikely that the Phillies will offer contracts to both players. If they were to do that, they would likely lose one of them later when they attempted to get one of them through waivers to send them down to Lehigh Valley. Unless they believe one of them could emerge to be the starting catcher next season if Realmuto does bolt.
Another possibility is a trade. Not that either player would bring a huge return, but teams could value Stubbs’ experience and ability to handle young pitchers or could look at Marchan as a backup to their frontline guy. Signing one of them to a contract is another way to go. The bottom line is that one way or the other, something is going to happen with Stubbs and Marchan this week.
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