The Philadelphia Phillies have designated backup catcher Garrett Stubbs for assignment, first reported by Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The team will have five days to either trade him or place him on waivers once the team officially announces the DFA. If he clears waivers, he will be a free agent and per Lauber, the 33-year-old wants to keep playing.
Stubbs, who became a polarizing depth piece for the team over the years, was originally acquired in a trade with the Houston Astros in the fall of 2021 in exchange for minor league outfielder Logan Cerny.
Known as a defensive first catcher, Stubbs spent five seasons with the Phillies appearing in 181 games. Backing up J.T. Realmuto since 2022, he didn’t see a ton of starts. He only made 128 starts behind the plate with a career-high 47 in 2024. During his tenure, he hit .212 with seven home runs and a .593 OPS.
However, the veteran was praised by the organization for his handling of his demotion to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in 2025.
Off the field, he was known as the “chief vibes officer”, bringing positivity and leadership into the clubhouse. Whether he was mentoring younger players, ordering catchy T-shirts or curating a postgame playlist, Stubbs was a mood setter. Don’t forget about the overalls.
If he clears waivers, he would join other free agents from this year’s roster in José
Alvarado, Luis Arraez, Alec Bohm, Nestor Cortes, Adolís Garcia, Brooks Raley and Edmundo Sosa.
The free agent class isn’t flush with many catching options, with names like Travis D’Arnaud, Mitch Garver, Jonah Heim, Carson Kelly and Tyler Stephenson highlighting the group, but Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies seemingly wants to pivot and get more production from the backup catcher position with Realmuto getting older.
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