Dylan Moore‘s agent made a strong move to have an opt-out clause included in his contract. When Moore invoked the clause on Thursday it gave the Phillies 48 hours to make a decision on whether to add him to the major league roster or allow him to become a free agent. On Saturday, the Phillies officially added Moore to their 40-man roster, which also kicks in his $1.85-million deal for 2026.
Moore’s background and versatility are really what gained him the spot on the roster. During his seven MLB seasons, Moore has played every position except catcher. During his rookie season of 2019, he crossed pitcher off the list while he was with the Seattle Mariners. Not only does he bring positional versatility, but he has good defensive skills, winning a Gold Glove as a utility player in 2024, also with Seattle.
At the plate, Moore is a .206/.310/.383/.693 hitter and he hit just .219 (7-for-32) this spring.
The addition of Moore would appear to take outfielder Bryan De La Cruz, who was the MVP of the Dominican Winter League, out of the running for a roster spot. De La Cruz may have given the Phillies the right-handed power bat they were looking for to bring off the bench, but he is in camp as a non-roster player with a minor league deal and does not have an opt-out clause until July. The Phillies will have to deal with that, but have time to allow things to play out.
Among position players there is now just one spot left undecided, and it could be a difficult choice. The Phillies have to decide between backup catchers Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs. Stubbs spent last season with Lehigh Valley, but he and Marchan are now both out of options meaning that it is possible that the Phillies will lose either one that they attempt to put through waivers in order to send them to Triple-A. Marchan is a switch-hitter, but Stubbs has more of an impact on the team in the clubhouse, where he is one of the more popular players. Stubbs also has put in at least some work to brush up on playing left field and third base, both of which are positions he played in college.
There are still some decisions to make in the bullpen. Matt Gelb of The Athletic believes one potential scenario would be to carry four left-handed relievers and four right-handed relievers. There is also the question of what to do with righty Zach McCambley, who the Phillies selected in the Rule 5 Draft last December at the Winter Meetings. The 26-year-old is from Netcong, New Jersey and has pitched well this spring, although his control has not been pinpoint. In 7.1 innings he has walked six and struck out four in big league camp, but his ERA is a strong 1.23.
The Phillies have two more spring training games and open the season Thursday at Citizens Bank Park against the Texas Rangers. Cristopher Sanchez has been named the Opening Day starter for the Phillies.
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