The Philadelphia Phillies designated Garrett Stubbs for assignment recently, and after clearing waivers, he elected free agency.
Stubbs was out of options and the Phillies placed him on waivers in the spring. He was outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley at the time and was called up when J.T. Realmuto was injured. He played 35 games in the big leagues this year, but was on the roster for the remainder of the season after his call-up.
He was primarily used as the last bat off the bench, but now his time with the team is seemingly over. He has played in the big leagues for eight seasons, but has just 586 plate appearances. He has spent five seasons with the Phillies after coming over in a trade from the Houston Astros before the 2022 season.
In 2022, Stubbs had a .264/.350/.462 slash line with five home runs in 46 games. However, overall, he has been nothing more than a role player and clubhouse presence.
This year, he had a .368 OPS. Now, as a free agent, he will likely look for a deal that gives him an opportunity to compete for a backup catcher role or bench job.
He is a solid depth option for teams in need of a veteran catcher. He has played in just three postseason games in his career, but is one of the more experienced options on the market as a catcher this offseason.