MLB Rumors: Phillies Trying to Trade Veteran Catcher

The Philadelphia Phillies are running out of time to find a landing spot for Garrett Stubbs, and it’s becoming pretty clear how this is going to end. 

With Rafael Marchan officially winning the backup catcher job behind J.T. Realmuto, Stubbs is now the odd man out, and the front office is working the phones trying to flip him before Opening Day rosters are due.

Phillies shopping Garrett Stubbs after roster decision

This decision didn’t exactly come out of nowhere. 

Stubbs is out of minor league options, which means they can’t just stash him in Triple-A without exposing him to waivers. 

That’s why president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made it clear they’ll try to find a trade partner first, but the window to do it is closing fast.

Rafael Marchan has won the backup catcher job.

Garrett Stubbs is out of options and will not be on the Opening Day Roster. If they can’t trade him before Opening Day Rosters are due, he will have to be DFA’d. pic.twitter.com/Gh4NkvCJMg

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) March 22, 2026

Marchan, 27, just made more sense for where the roster is right now. 

He’s younger, under team control through 2028, and he has been more productive offensively with a .245/.308/.394 career line compared to Stubbs’ .221/.304/.323. 

The defensive metrics lean his way as well. When you factor all that in, it was pretty obvious this was coming. 

Garrett Stubbs trade market facing competition

The challenge now is finding a team willing to take Stubbs on a guaranteed roster spot. 

He’s a solid clubhouse presence and well-liked by pitchers, but that alone doesn’t drive trade value this late in camp. 

Around the league, there are several catchers in similar situations, including players like Korey Lee and Alex Jackson.

Garrett Stubbs was proud of himself for taking a pitch that should’ve been ball four, a breakdown pic.twitter.com/2DxcvHU9Uv

— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) March 20, 2026

Stubbs hasn’t played a major role at the big league level recently either. He spent most of last season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he posted a .753 OPS in 71 games, and saw very limited action in Philadelphia. 

That doesn’t help his case when teams are deciding who’s worth a roster spot heading into a 162-game grind.

If no deal comes together in the next couple of days, the next step is the Phillies will designate Stubbs for assignment and hope he clears waivers. 

From there, he could either stick in the organization on a minor league deal or elect free agency.

Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images