Rafael Marchán has not had a straightforward career. He was lauded throughout the minor leagues as a defensive stalwart behind the plate, a future dependable backstop... if only he could hit. Well, when COVID-19 decimated the Philadelphia Phillies roster in 2020, the team gave 21-year-old Marchán a shot on the big-league club straight out of High-A. Naturally, he muscled his first-ever professional homer out of the yard at Citizens Bank Park.
“I guess he can hit a little,” was the consensus in 2024 when Marchán spelled the injured J.T. Realmuto for a month mid-season, batting .294 and putting up an .894 OPS. Now, after more than three years of service time, the pendulum was swung back. Marchán has a .202 career batting average and a sub-.600 OPS. The 27-year-old is going home to join Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Winter League.
Tiburones are managed by Fernando Tatis Sr., and their roster includes former MLBers Yangervis Solarte and Alcides Escobar, as well as PED-suspended Jurickson Profar.
Rafael Marchan has arrived in Venezuela to get ready for Winter Ball with Tiburones de La Guaira!
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) October 12, 2026
Marchan is a non-tender candidate this offseason and a big Winter Ball season could get him back on track from a lost season. pic.twitter.com/1RkuhJbvPA
Marchán and Tiburones opened the season Monday night at Estadio José Bernardo Pérez in Valencia, beating defending champions Navegantes del Magallanes 10-6. Right fielder and former Phillie, Símon Muzziotti, roped a bases-clearing double in the third inning to put Tiburones ahead for good.
Marchán went 0-for-3 with a walk, catching starter, and another former Phillie, Ricardo Pinto. Pinto completed only two innings, allowing five runs on seven hits. Tiburones improved to 2-0 on Tuesday night, though Marchán did not feature in the contest.
Marchán could already be out of the Phillies' plans for 2027
With the lockout looming ahead of the 2027 season, the Phillies will, in all likelihood, have extra time to figure out their catching plans. Realmuto will surely feature as the primary backstop, but the tandem of Garrett Stubbs and Marchán as backup catchers was among MLB’s least effective in 2026.
Of all 30 teams in the league, Phillies catchers had the lowest OBP at .253. 29th-place Los Angeles Angels had a .273 OBP.
If Marchán doesn't impress in Venezuela this winter and at spring training—if there is one—the Phillies could designate him for assignment. He’s out of minor-league options, so if he’s not on the 26-man roster, the team would have to expose him to waivers.
There are also enough catchers on the free-agent market that Dombrowski and the Phillies could opt to sign a Christian Vazquez or a Jonah Heim-type player to create some competition for Stubbs and Marchán.
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