PHILADELPHIA -- Phillies manager Rob Thomson got choked up on Sunday when he talked about Garrett Stubbs' future with the franchise.
The team had announced that Stubbs would not make the Opening Day roster, and that it would try to trade him in the coming days. If Philadelphia could not trade Stubbs, who was out of Minor League options, the club would designate him for assignment. If a team claimed Stubbs off waivers, his Phillies’ career would be over.
But the Phillies announced on Saturday afternoon that Stubbs had cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Stubbs had the right to elect free agency, but during the offseason he signed a split contract that guaranteed him $575,000 if he played in the Minors. Stubbs would have forfeited that contract had he elected free agency.
Stubbs will be the Phillies’ No. 3 catcher on the depth chart, behind J.T. Realmuto and Rafael Marchán.
“That’s a very emotional sit-down,” Thomson said on Sunday in Tampa, Fla. “That was tough. Because he’s meant a lot to the ballclub and the organization. And I love him.”
Thomson said at the time that if Stubbs indeed cleared waivers and stayed in the organization, he will also play in the infield and outfield to make him more versatile moving forward.