Opening Day for the Philadelphia Phillies is Thursday. With the regular season kicking off, the Phillies had to finalize their 40-man roster. The Phillies had some final adjustments to make and added infielder Christian Cairo. As a result, catcher Garrett Stubbs, without a job after Rafael Marchán's elevation, was designated for assignment.
Cairo, a relative unknown, was drafted by Cleveland in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Draft and has been a career minor leaguer. He was later drafted in the Rule 5 Draft in 2024 by the Atlanta Braves, but was returned to Cleveland's system after failing to stick.
Most recently he played for the Columbus Clippers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. In 112 games, Cairo hit .237, stole 33 bases, and posted a .669 OPS. He was released by the Guardians in November, then was picked up by the Phillies on a minor-league contract. According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Cairo had an upward mobility clause that allowed him to leave them if he wasn't added to the Major League roster. The Phillies added him accordingly, and had to part ways with Stubbs.
Christian Cairo had an upward mobility clause in his minor-league deal. He exercised it, and Phillies have decided to add the infielder to 40-man roster. He was then optioned to Triple A. The 40 is full.
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) March 25, 2026
Phillies add Christian Cairo to crowded infield logjam ahead of Opening Day
Cairo now joins Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, Edmundo Sosa, and Dylan Moore as the other infielders on the 40-man. After being optioned to Triple-A, Cairo will be the only Phillies' 40-man infielder to begin in the minor leagues.
As for Stubbs, he was deemed the vibes guy in the Phillies clubhouse, but has fallen out of favor when it comes to the other catchers on the roster. He spent most of his time last season between Triple-A Lehigh Valley and the majors. 2026 now begins with him on waivers. Stubbs can still rejoin the Phillies on a minor-league deal if he clears waivers.
The Phillies will instead proceed with J.T. Realmuto and Marchán on the 40-man roster. The Phillies also finalized their 26-man roster for Opening Day.
The Phillies officially announce their Opening Day roster although it was revealed on Sunday in Clearwater. Phillies add INF Christian Cairo to the 40-man roster. Garrett Stubbs was DFA'd, although there's still a chance he remains with the organization. pic.twitter.com/uVSSBVqAAi
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) March 25, 2026
With Opening Day festivities ready to kick off tomorrow, there are always some surprising twists that can pop up when it comes to final roster decisions. Cairo was a surprise add, but can supply some needed depth to the Phillies' infield if need be.
With the Phillies set for the most part, Phillies fans just have to sit and wait one more day to see their club take the field once again.