The Phillies are expected to have an opening in their last position with an outfielder Johan Rojas dealing with PED suspension. Several veterans are vying for the job in Spring Training, but manager Rob Thomson added an interesting name to the race on Friday. The captain shared this hunter Garrett Stubbs he was active in the infield and outfield, according to Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic. “There’s nothing saying he can’t be the 26 man and we have three starters,” said Thomson.
Stubbs has 15 starts in the outfield, though more than half of those came in his 2019 Astros debut. He pitched just two innings on the grass in Philadelphia. Thomson said left field is a possibility, but he also brought up first and third base. Stubbs’ professional infield experience includes one game at first base in Triple-A in 2018, and 11 appearances at second base with Sugar Land from 2019 to 2021.
The 32-year-old Stubbs has a 70 wRC+ in 521 major league plate appearances. He spent parts of the last four seasons with the Phillies after being traded from Houston. Stubbs proved to be an effective backup catcher in his first year with the club, hitting .264/.350/.462 in 50 games in 2022. His production at the plate has declined significantly since then. Stubbs appeared in five MLB games last season, a handful of them since his debut.
Philadelphia returned JT Realmuto with a three-year, $45MM deal to handle the bulk of the work behind the plate. Rafael Marchan is a leading candidate for a backup job. He has been a better defender than Stubbs, and provides the added benefit of being a switch-hitter. Getting a third catcher in the mix would provide more flexibility, but it’s not like Realmuto can slide to DH when he’s not a catcher. With Kyle Schwarber If he plays in that position, Realmuto will be behind the plate when he is in the lineup. Stubbs runs well at tackle (though so does Realmuto), so he can put on a pressure situation.
RosterResource currently has it Dylan Moore finding the last place on the list in Philadelphia. The pitcher was designated for assignment by the Mariners during the 2025 campaign. He played with the Rangers in the last month of the season. Moore signed a minor league deal with the Phillies in early February. He got a hit on Saturday, but is hitting just .188 in Spring Training.
Moore primarily offers speed and defense in a variety of ways. He has totaled 46 steals over the past two seasons. The 33-year-old appeared in all four infield positions, as well as outfield and right field, with Seattle last year. Moore has flashed a bit of power at times, though he comes with a strikeout rate above 30%.
If the Phillies look to replace Rojas with an outfielder, Bryan De La Cruz seems like the top option, at least from experience. He spent parts of the last five seasons in the majors. De La Cruz was an everyday player from 2023 to 2024. The veteran is in camp as an undrafted free agent after signing a minor league contract in November. De La Cruz broke camp with the Braves last season, but hit .191 with a 36% slugging percentage and was in Triple-A by mid-April. He was claimed off waivers by the Yankees and spent the rest of the year in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
De La Cruz hit a career-high 21 home runs in 2024, splitting the year between the Marlins and Pirates. He finished the year with a 78 wRC+ and didn’t get much attention in free agency. De La Cruz has spent time in all three outfield positions. He comes out badly with Defensive Runs Saved for each of them. His worst pitch left the field (-7 DRS), which is probably the best opportunity available in Philadelphia. Adolis Garcia penciled in for right field, with Crawford in center and Marsh in left field. With Crawford on the bench, Marsh could slide to center.
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Dyer, Imagn Images
