Garrett Stubbs Optioned to AAA, Ending 3 Year Stint as Backup

The writing was on the wall for Garrett Stubbs in Spring Training. After 3 seasons as JT Realmuto's primary backup, he came into the Spring earmarked to end up in AAA to start the season. Mostly because he still had a minor league option, and Rafael Marchan did not.

Today the Phillies made it official. Early Thursday morning, the news broke that the Phillies optioned Garrett Stubbs to AAA, making way for Marchan to be the backup.

Stubbs has been the Phillies designated vibes guy and team DJ. Seeing him interact with his teammates, it is clear how much he was loved in that Clubhouse.

But apart from being well-liked by his teammates, his presence caused a consistent problem for the Phillies. After putting up passable numbers at the plate in 2022, he was near unplayable in the past two seasons, with batting averages just barely making it over .200. His slash line the past 2 seasons was .206/.287/.271/.558.

Out of the 65 catchers last year with at least 100 PAs, had the 7th-worst SLG. In 164 at-bats, he managed just 6 extra-base hits. He gave the team nothing at the plate and did not exactly make up for it on the defensive side.

He was borderline unplayable. This plays into why JT Realmuto has had to catch so many games since he got here, which might play into why JT Realmuto has seen a decline in his play.

The Phillies need to find a way to get Realmuto more time off this season. He is 34 and it shows in his play. They needed a more competent backup, which Marchan offers them compared to Stubbs. It is a very limited sample size, but Marchan has hit .279/.333/.477/.811 in 40 games.

That is not the production you will get from him as the primary backup over a full season. As pitchers learn more about him, those numbers will likely drop. But it shows you that he offers more at the plate than Stubbs ever could.

With Marchan, you will be far more comfortable letting Realmuto take days off. You will not be putting an automatic out into the lineup every time you do so.

Backup catchers are never going to be great players, but they need to at least be capable baseball players. Stubbs was not. Marchan is. So while the move was more about keeping flexibility and depth, (they would have lost Marchan on waivers if they sent him down instead) it is also what is best for the team.

Stubbs being loved by teammates was great, but this is not the movie Rudy. There can't be a space on the team for the likable guy who tries really hard. Marchan is the better player period. The Phillies are better off because of this decision, and JT Realmuto's knees will thank the Phillies for finally going with a real MLB backup catcher.

Dave Dombrowski proudly spoke at spring training about a poised rotation of starting pitchers as possibly the greatest strength of the 2025 Philadelphia Phillies.

The staff carried the Phillies to a dominant first half and a National League East pennant last season. Dombrowski rounded out the five-man rotation with an offseason trade for Jesus Luzardo.

The newly-acquired lefty will work his way back from injury along with teammate Ranger Suarez. Workhorses Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola will pitch at the top of the rotation while Cristopher Sanchez has had arguably the best spring among a stacked group of Phillies starting pitchers.

Do the Phillies have the strongest rotation in baseball entering the 2025 MLB season?

It’s hard to look past seven stud starting pitchers on the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, Tony Gonsolin is already struggling with availability while Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, and Dustin May are all coming off major injuries.

The Seattle Mariners intimidate opponents with Logan Gilbert, Luis Castillo, and George Kirby lined up at the top. Can they measure up to a Phillies staff with fourth and fifth starters who would pitch at the top of most MLB teams’ rotations?

Don’t count out the Atlanta Braves with Spencer Strider back on the mound or a darkhorse candidate like the Tampa Bay Rays.

The listed order of the projected five-man rotation is ranked based on the subjective level of intrigue entering the 2025 season. It is not a reflection on talent level or performance projections.

All reports from Clearwater have praised Cristopher Sanchez. The 28-year-old lefty bulked up during offseason workouts, and he’s added velocity to his sinking fastball entering the first season of a four-year deal he signed in June 2024.

Sanchez has posted a 3.36 ERA over 49 starts the past two seasons since the Phillies deemed him as a full-time option in the rotation.

He showed his high-end potential in two complete games at Citizens Bank Park last season, and he threw five solid innings in his only playoff start in Game 2 of the National League Division Series.

Jayson Stark described Sanchez’s changeup as – maybe – the best in the majors during an appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic. Opponents hit .177 and slugged a miniscule .220 against Sanchez’s best pitch last season.

It was actually more effective in 2023, when Sanchez posted a sensational 43% whiff rate using the changeup.

Cristopher Sanchez’s spot towards the bottom of the rotation underscores the strength of the unit as the biggest reason for optimism entering 2025.

The Phillies dealt prospects Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd to add the last puzzle piece to their elite rotation.

A lumbar stress reaction kept Jesus Luzardo off the mound after June 16 last season. He spoke confidently after the trade, however, about entering spring training healthy.

The 27-year-old lefty dazzled in two perfect innings during his first Grapefruit League start. Two hitters swung right through strike three at his changeup, which has effectively kept hitters off balance in Luzardo’s best seasons.

His second start didn’t go so smoothly. He allowed three home runs on three consecutive pitches while Rob Thomson wore a headset for an in-game interview on ESPN.

Luzardo ranks near the top of the majors the past three seasons in strikeout rate and whiff rate. He ranked eighth among qualified starters with 10.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 2023.

Luzardo’s fastball velocity turned some heads at BayCare Ballpark this spring. He averaged 96.4 miles per hour with his four-seamer in 2023. The velocity dipped to 95.3 in 2024, and the rejuvenated strength is an encouraging indicator for a healthy start to 2025.