Garrett Stubbs clears waivers, will remain with the Phillies in Triple-A Lehigh Valley

The Phillies announced Saturday afternoon that Garrett Stubbs cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Nobody claimed him. His career in Philadelphia continues, at least for now.

The path to get here was not clean. When Garrett Stubbs did not make the Opening Day roster the Phillies said publicly they would try to trade him over the next few days. If no trade materialized they would designate him for assignment and put him on waivers.

If anyone claimed him he was gone. The Phillies could not find a trade partner and the waiver wire produced nothing either. Garrett Stubbs cleared and the organization gets to keep him.

Garrett Stubbs clears waives, outrighted to Lehigh Valley

Garrett Stubbs cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Lehigh Valley.

— Lochlahn March (@lochlahn) March 28, 2026

He also had the option to elect free agency after clearing waivers but chose not to. During the offseason he signed a split contract that guarantees him $575,000 if he plays in the minors. Electing free agency would have meant walking away from that money. He stayed and now he slots in as the number three catcher on the depth chart behind Realmuto and Marchán.

Stubbs is never going to hit. A career batting average of .213 to go along with a .603 OPS are why he has never been able to hold a big league roster spot long-term despite the organization clearly valuing him.

The glove is the reason he keeps getting chances. His framing, blocking, and pop time numbers are legitimate and he knows this pitching staff as well as anyone in the system.

If something goes wrong behind the plate during a 162-game season, which it almost always does for somebody, Stubbs is a phone call and a short drive from Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies were shopping him all spring and never found a taker. That could change the moment another team loses a catcher to injury.

Until then he is an IronPig again and the organization gets to keep a good person in the building. Small win but a win nonetheless.

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