Philadelphia Phillies Beat Writer Reveals Biggest Remaining Spring Training Battle

When taking a look at the Philadelphia Phillies roster with only a few weeks remaining until Opening Day, it is hard to find any glaring needs.

Sure, some fans may not be thrilled with the situation in the outfield, where Max Kepler is penciled in as the starter in left field despite never playing there as a professional previously.

At the very least, that is the only starting position that has changed in the lineup. Everyone else from the 95-win team in 2024 is returning in 2025.

There are a few concerns in the bullpen as well, where Jordan Romano is being counted on for a bounce back campaign to help offset the losses of Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez in free agency.

Emerging star Orion Kerkering will handle more high-leverage work and Jose Alvarado looks ready to return to form after great winter preparations are carrying over into the spring.

There aren’t really any spots up for grabs on the roster except for maybe one bench spot.

But, that doesn’t mean competition won’t be fierce down the stretch at Phillies camp, as there is one positional battle that is still undecided; backup catcher.

J.T. Realmuto is locked in as the starter behind the plate and has a lot to prove entering the final year of his contract.

The spot behind him on the depth chart is an important one to address, especially after he played in only 99 games last year and four different catchers started games at the Major League level.

As shared by Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, it looks to be a two-man race currently between the incumbent, Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchan.

“In another season, Stubbs could be perceived as the favorite. But Marchan is out of options, while Stubbs has one remaining. Baseball operations departments typically covet organizational depth, but Phillies manager Rob Thomson said if one catcher clearly outplays the other it won’t matter,” Zolecki wrote.

Stubbs is a highly regarded part of the team’s roster for the energy that he provides. Incredibly popular in the clubhouse, he brings more than just on-field production to the mix, which is important during the grind of a marathon regular season.

He is playing at a high level this spring as well, doing everything in his power to lock down the backup spot behind Realmuto for the fourth year in a row.

In 17 plate appearances, he has a .385/.529/.538 slash line with two doubles and three RBI.

That is certainly good enough to lock up the job in some circumstances, but Marchan is not going down without a fight.

Through 14 plate appearances, he has produced in his own right with a .308/.357/.385 slash line with one double and two RBI.

This battle could very well come down to Stubbs having a minor league option remaining and Marchan not.

It would be the only way to guarantee that both players remain with the franchise, as Marchan would be subject to waivers and could be claimed by another team if he were released from the roster.

If Philadelphia wants to avoid losing Marchan, he will get the job behind Realmuto with Stubbs beginning the year in Triple-A.

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