Garrett Stubbs' replacement is staring the Phillies right in the face
There’s an opportunity for the Phillies to upgrade their backup catcher position for the remainder of the season, but would the organization actually move on from fan-favorite and clubhouse leader Garrett Stubbs?
Philadelphia Phillies backup catcher Garrett Stubbs is an easy guy to like, but he isn’t necessarily the best player on the baseball field. He’s known as the vibes guy because of his energetic and light-hearted attitude. However, baseball is more than just vibes.
Stubbs hasn’t played in many games in his three-year career with the Phillies. That’s not surprising with J.T. Realmuto as the everyday catcher.
Garrett Stubbs' replacement is staring the Phillies right in the face after the Rockies placed Elias Díaz on waivers
The 31-year-old had a solid first season with the Phillies in 2022. He slashed .264/.350/.462 with an .812 OPS in 50 games. Not bad for a backup catcher. Stubbs also quickly became a fan favorite because of his personality and DJ skills in the Phillies’ clubhouse.
Stubbs wasn’t as successful in 2023. He slashed .204/.274/.283 with a .557 OPS and only one home run in 41 games. His production has gone down even more this season with a line of .191/.289/.237 and a .526 OPS. Stubbs has just one home run, seven RBI and struck out 41 times so far this season.
The Phillies could bring in a replacement for Stubbs after one of the Colorado Rockies’ latest roster moves. The Rockies placed veteran catcher Elias Díaz on outright waivers (subscription required) on Aug. 14, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Díaz is 33 years old and was a first-time All-Star last year. He was even named the MVP of the All-Star Game.
The Phillies have the option to place a claim for Díaz by 1:00 p.m. ET on Friday. If they were to do so and were rewarded him, they’d pay approximately $1.5 million remaining on his contract, plus a $50,000 waiver fee.
Díaz made his major league debut in 2015 with the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he only played in three games between 2015 and 2016. He was with the Pirates through 2019 before he moved on to the Rockies in 2020.
Díaz is slashing .270/.315/.378 with a .693 OPS, five home runs and 36 RBI in 304 at-bats this year. However, most of his production came before the All-Star break. He’s slashing .196/.250/.268 with a .518 OPS, 11 hits, no home runs and six RBI since the break.
It’s unlikely the Phillies put in a claim for Díaz, especially since the organization already decided to keep Stubbs over Rafael Marchán earlier in the season. However, the opportunity is there for them to provide better insurance behind Realmuto heading into the final stretch of the season and the playoffs.
manual