One of the first major milestones of the 2024 Major League Baseball offseason took place on Friday, with all 30 teams tasked with deciding whether or not to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players for next season. The Philadelphia Phillies had eight players who met that criteria this time around, but that number was reduced to seven after the Phillies decided to cut bait with one of their most disappointing trade deadline acquisitions in recent memory.
As expected, the Phillies non-tendered outfielder Austin Hays, who they acquired at this year’s deadline, and whose injury-riddled two-month stint in a Phillies uniform was largely forgettable. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski provided the ultimate tell earlier this offseason when he couldn’t say for certain that the former All-Star had a role on next year’s ball club.
That’s debatable, but it was beyond clear that the Phillies had little desire to gamble on a bounce back with Hays projected to make more than $6 million next season via the arbitration process.
The seven players tendered a contract yesterday were a little less of a surprise, with Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh, Ranger Suárez, Edmundo Sosa, José Ruiz, Garrett Stubbs and rumored trade bait Alec Bohm all back in the fold for next season — at least for now. Although Hays was the only player subtracted at the non-tender deadline, many thought Friday would also mark the end for Stubbs, the team’s light-hitting-fan favorite backup catcher.
The news of Stubbs’ return next season was met with much enthusiasm from those inclined to wear overalls to Phillies games. But critics of Stubbs’ nearly non-existent offensive contributions were crying foul, especially with the Phillies aiming for primary catcher J.T. Realmuto to sit out more games next season to reduce the wear and tear on his 33-year-old body.
It’s since been reported that Stubbs was signed to a split contract for next season, earning $450K if he spends time at Triple-A and $925K if he spends time on the 26-man roster.
Sure, Stubbs has proven he can handle the pitching staff in Realmuto’s absence, but at the plate the last two seasons, it’s been a completely different story.
After Realmuto suffered a minor knee injury that required surgery in June, all of the pressure of handling the Phillies pitching staff fell squarely on the shoulders of Stubbs and Triple-A call-up Rafael Marchán. It would be ridiculous to say anyone was expecting the pair to duplicate the multifaceted offensive contributions that a three-time All-Star like Realmuto is known for, but a rare opportunity opened up for Phillies fans to see what life would be like without Realmuto, and the results of that period provided the skeptics with plenty of unfortunate clarity.
The lack of confidence in Stubbs’ bat became apparent when Marchán arrived from Lehigh Valley. The veteran backstop mostly found himself as the backup to the backup, with Marchán handling much of the catching duties until Realmuto returned. And Marchán didn’t hesitate to make a strong and lasting impression, making the most of his 17-game stint in the majors (his first since 2021) by hitting .294, with 15 hits, four doubles, three home runs, and six RBI in 51 at-bats.
After opening eyes with a solid showing as Realmuto’s backup catcher in 2022, Phillies fans could probably live with a .264 batting average and a five-home run season from Stubbs each year. But since making his Phillies debut that season, Stubb’s offense has come falling back down to earth, with his average and power dropping in both subsequent years, ultimately sitting at a lowly .207 at the conclusion of this past season.
Even with a new contract in hand, there’s no guarantee that Stubbs will spend a full season in Philadelphia next year. That’s where his recently signed split contract comes into play. While Stubbs’ MLB service time made him eligible for a raise this winter, his one remaining minor league option could still be used at any time. A poor showing from Stubbs and a healthy and productive spring training from Marchán could force the Phillies to make a necessary change to start 2025.
With the Phillies front office open to the idea of improving the team’s offense this offseason, some radical changes could be on the horizon with the MLB Winter Meetings set to take place in early December. If the Phillies make good on resting Realmuto more often in 2025, it goes without saying that the team is going to need more offense out of the backup catcher spot next season.
While Stubbs’ clubhouse leadership has never been in question, and his post-game personality a major draw with certain segments of the fanbase, it became very apparent when Realmuto was sidelined last season that the Phillies need to either give Marchán a shot at becoming the backup catcher in 2025 or begin to search the free-agent market for a reasonably priced upgrade.
