Two notable developments at Phillies camp on Thursday morning, a week before Opening Day:
• Garrett Stubbs was optioned to Triple A, meaning Rafael Marchan will be the backup catcher to J.T. Realmuto.
• And Johan Rojas, for the first time this spring, was penciled into the starting lineup in center field. Rojas had been limited to DH duty because of a shoulder injury suffered during winter ball.
The revelation was hardly shocking because Stubbs had been Realmuto’s backup for three seasons and had established himself as a clubhouse and fan favorite. The Phillies would have had to expose Marchan to waivers (and probably lose him) if he hadn’t made their Opening Day roster since he has run out of minor-league options. Stubbs still has one year left on his option.
In actuality, it was always going to be very difficult for Stubbs to make the team this spring, barring a Marchan injury or trade. The Phillies claimed that it would be a true duel and that the contract situation wouldn’t stand in the way if one exceeded the other. Stubbs had ten appearances, going 6-for-21 (.286) with three walks and two doubles. Before Thursday’s game, Marchan had 28 plate appearances and a.250 batting average with a.357 OBP.
If someone gets hurt, Stubbs will be the next catcher up. Realmuto, who turned 34 on Tuesday, missed six weeks of the previous season due to a knee ailment, but he only lost 10 days of time on the injured list during his first five seasons as a Phillie. Marchan has played more than 70 games just once, in 2019 at Single A, and has lost a significant amount of time due to a variety of injuries during his minor league career, including hamstring, hand, shoulder, and back issues. Therefore, it’s possible that Stubbs did not witness the demise of the Citizens Bank Park home clubhouse.
On January 6, Marchan arrived in Clearwater. It didn’t hurt to jam in bullpen sessions with early-arriving pitchers and rookies like Jordan Romano, and he wanted to work with the strength and conditioning team to better prepare his body for the best opportunity of his career.
This spring, manager Rob Thomson said, “Really everything,” when asked what he liked about Marchan. “He is the best thrower, a brilliant catcher, a blocker, a mover, and an aggressive back-picker. He has worked extensively with our pitching group, which consists of J.T., Stubby, and Caleb (Cotham). He calls a really nice game after doing a lot of homework. bright youngster. He is a very smart individual and is no longer a child. I am completely confident in him.
Marchan, who is competing for a place in the bullpen alongside Tyler Phillips, Kyle Tyler, and Michael Mercado, was in the lineup Thursday behind the plate to catch Nabil Crismatt. Rojas was supposed to start in center and lead off. He has been progressing slowly since he injured his shoulder while sliding into second base in the Dominican Winter League three months ago. For the Phillies to include him on the Opening Day roster, he must be healthy and able to pitch. Should Rojas’ shoulder ailment persist, Oscar Mercado might be able to leave camp with the team.
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