Philadelphia Phillies Re-Sign Fan Favorite To Strange Contract

The Philadelphia Phillies re-signed one of their fan favorites, but it's to a strange contract that could hint at how the roster will be constructed.

Jun 5, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs (21) advances to first on a walk against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth inning at Citizens Bank Park / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Before the Philadelphia Phillies jumped into offseason moves, they had to make some decisions regarding non-tender candidates.

The most notable move they made was to turn deadline acquisition Austin Hays into a free agent after his tenure was a disaster. That came on the heels of Dave Dombrowski stating he's always liked the veteran outfielder's game and had tried to trade for him on multiple occasions previously.

But, as the Phillies look for upgrades to that unit, they felt like he wasn't in their future.

Someone who will be back in 2025 who was seen as a player who might be let go is Garrett Stubbs.

The fan favorite catcher has become a lovable character, but when he was required to play more because of the injuries J.T. Realmuto suffered, it was clear his performance was not good enough to consistently be in the mix going forward.

That is an issue for Philadelphia as they try to figure out ways to preserve their aging star Realmuto during the upcoming season so he has more gas left in the tank for the playoffs.

Former top prospect Rafael Marchan could get more playing time, but carrying three catchers on the active roster is not something that makes a lot of sense for the Phillies, so there's a good chance Stubbs is the primary backup again.

But, the contract he signed is very notable.

Per Ronald Blum of the Associated Press, he inked a deal that pays him $925,000 if he reaches the Majors and $450,000 if he's in the minors.

With Stubbs having one minor league option remaining, there's a chance he begins in Triple-A while Marchan, who is out of options, breaks out of Spring Training as the backup to Realmuto.

This will be something to keep an eye on.

Marchan is the better offensive option and someone who provides better defense than Stubbs behind the plate, so conventional wisdom would suggest he is the player who should be second on the depth chart.

However, injuries have been a major reason why Marchan hasn't reached his full potential, so it would have been a risk to rely on his health without someone they can fall back on.

Stubbs remains with Philadelphia, but whether or not he's a featured part of this Phillies roster like he has been in the past remains to be seen.