With the end of spring training just around the corner and Opening Day in less than a week, rosters around the league are starting to round into their final initial form.
While minor leaguers, depth pieces and non-roster invites can generally be sent to the minor leagues with ease until their services are need, a select few on the 40-man roster are out of options and can’t be sent down without first being exposed to waivers.
Here are the five Phillies with no options remaining and less than five years of service time, as per MLB Trade Rumors, and whether their jobs are safe, out or under review.
NOTE: Crístopher Sánchez is also technically out of options. He seems safe to us.
Which Phillies will safely make Opening Day roster, and who will hit waivers?
Zach Pop - Out
Pop somewhat surprisingly garnered a major league deal back in late December after appearing in just five major league games split between the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners last season. The right-hander worked to a 14.85 ERA and 11.39 FIP over 6.2 innings.
The 29-year-old hasn’t posted a positive WAR since 2022.
Still, the Phillies handed Pop a split contract that will pay him $900,000 for time spent with the big-league club. There’s a chance that, by virtue of having no remaining options, Pop may have come into the spring with an inside track to one of two open bullpen spots. Since the start of spring, however, offseason trade acquisitions Chase Shugart and Kyle Backhus have both outperformed Pop, especially the latter.
Unless Pop were to find another MLB opportunity in short order, the $250,000 minor league salary on the split contract may be enough to entice him to accept an optional assignment if he passes through waivers.
Garrett Stubbs - Out
Stubbs has two routes to making the roster: beating Marchán outright (unlikely) or claiming the extra bench spot vacated by Johan Rojas (less likely by the day).
Stubbs’ best chance is if the Phillies decide to keep him purely for the sake of having an extra left-handed bat against righties. Though the 32-year-old has slashed an poor .227/.320/.684 across 22 at bats this spring, his slash line in over a small 15-at bat sample size against purely right handers jumps to .267/.353/.467 with an .820 OPS.
That’s about as good of a spin as you can put on Stubbs’ chances of making the roster, even though his career numbers suggest that he is far better against southpaws (albeit over a smaller sample).
Given that super-utilityman Dylan Moore exercised his opt out clause on Thursday, per Will Sammon, the extra bench spot will likely have to be used on him. Though Stubbs has minimal experience in the corner outfield and the team has shoehorned him into auditioning at third base, he is a less-than-ideal option anywhere but catcher.
In all likelihood, Stubbs’ time as a Phillie has passed him by.
Jonathan Bowlan - Safe
The return in the Matt Strahm deal with the Kansas City Royals, Bowlan will back up Jhoan Duran, José Alvarado, Brad Keller and Orion Kerkering as part of the main righty contingent out of the Phillies bullpen.
Though it’s been an underwhelming spring for the 29-year-old, allowing a run in three of six appearances, the former starter should do a fine job of eating innings after posting a sub-four ERA in 34 games last season
Rafael Marchán - Under Review
Though Marchán has been participating in pseudo-battle for the backup catching job with Garrett Stubbs, Marchán hasn’t done much to lose the job. The 27-year-old also hasn’t done much to win it.
The outcome will likely be the same as a season ago. Marchán will win the catching battle by default as the choice with more upside out of a pair of players that leave something to be desired at the plate.
The real threat to Marchán’s job would be if a non-roster invitee from another organization that offered more ability at the plate and similar defense were to become available towards the end of camp. Names that stick out include Elias Díaz (Royals) and Christian Vázquez (Houston Astros), both of whom are having solid springs and come with proven MLB track records.