The Phillies lost a catcher JT Realmuto at least a month while he regenerates the meniscus process in his right knee. They will go with the backstops Rafael Marchan again Garrett Stubbs behind the plate for now, but Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports that the Phils will also be looking for more depth to stash in Triple-A on the sidelines for the trip. Aramis Garcia.
Between Marchan and Stubbs, the Phillies seem content for now. That's understandable, given Realmuto's short recovery and MLB-high 10-game lead over their division at the moment. Marchan missed most of the 2024 season with a back injury but is healthy now and has hit .233/.382/.395 in 55 plate appearances since coming out of the IL. He also hit .297/.331/.440 in Triple-A last season, and the president of baseball operations sang the praises of Marchan's defensive skills when he interviewed Gelb.
Realmuto's injury could give Marchan a big league run and consistent playing time over the next few weeks — something he hasn't gotten before. Although he has long been considered a prospect, Marchan has been blocked by Realmuto for years and has often struggled to stay healthy in the minors. He appeared in only 23 MLB games and took 65 plate appearances.
Marchan will be out of the minor leagues next season, so this will be a part-time interview next season or later this year. Stubbs has only 63 plate appearances this season and has posted just a .179/.270/.196 slash. Manager Rob Thomson plans to split the playing time evenly between the two catchers and hopes to keep them with the same starting pitchers in Realmuto's absence, according to Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
There isn't a ton there when it comes to holding depth, although it's an old friend Donny Sands recently released by the Giants and the Mets Tomas Nido by share. The Phillies won't pick up the remainder of Nido's $2.1MM salary but can add him to a minor league deal whenever he clears waivers following that DFA. (Nido has five-plus years to work and can completely decline free agency without needing to surrender his remaining guarantee.) The Mets also traded away a veteran catcher recently. Omar Narvaez.
A major acquisition for the Phillies is unlikely, barring some sort of reversal in Realmuto's recovery. Coffey notes that Dombrowski was asked if Realmuto's injury affects the Phillies' trade deadline outlook, to which the baseball ops veteran replied, “Not yet.” That said, signing the Narvaez/Nido/Sands bucket, swapping a Triple-A veteran to another club, or perhaps even signing a former big leaguer currently in independent ball would all make sense.
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