The Philadelphia Phillies made a pair of small moves Friday, agreeing to terms with catcher Garrett Stubbs for the 2026 season and claiming outfielder Pedro León off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles.
Aboard for his fifth season with Philadelphia, Stubbs has shown the team nothing but good vibes and the best of attitudes in his limited role. Over his first three seasons, Stubbs averaged roughly 120 at-bats per year, spending most of his time on the bench and occasionally filling in for now free agent J.T. Realmuto behind the plate.
In 2025, he lost out on his Major League roster spot to Rafael Marchán, spending nearly the entire season with the Phillies’ AAA affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. Stubbs performed well statistically with the Iron Pigs but his main contribution came in imparting his Major League experience to the young contingent of pitchers on the team.
“He’s a legend,” said Phillies manager Rob Thomson on Stubbs back in September.
The Phillies needed to come to a decision on Stubbs prior to Friday’s 5 p.m. tender deadline. Stubbs, who was out of minor league options, was called up by the Phillies in September as an extra catcher. Because he could no longer be sent down without passing through waivers, the Phillies would have had to designate him for assignment to return him to Lehigh Valley.
Instead, he signed a split contract for 2026, allowing the Phillies to move the catcher back-and-forth for the season. He’ll now make $575,000 while in the Minor Leagues and $925,000 while in the Major Leagues. For context, both numbers are prorated based off of his total number of days at each level during the 187-day regular season.
The length of time Stubbs will spend in the Major Leagues will depend primarily on whether the Phillies’ efforts to re-sign Realmuto are fruitful. If not, Stubbs currently stands as the second catcher on the Phillies’ depth chart.
León, 27, was designated for assignment Tuesday after spending less than two weeks in the Baltimore Orioles organization. Before joining Baltimore, León was in the Houston Astros organization, spending all of the 2025 season recovering from a left MCL sprain. In 2024, León made his Major League debut during a brief stint with the Astros, going 2-for-20 in seven games.
Most of his 2025 reps came with the Astros’ AAA affiliate, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (aren’t Minor League names the best?) In 22 games in Sugar Land, León went .241/.312/.422 with three home runs and 12 runs scored.
While the Cuban outfielder does not project to make an impact on the Opening Day roster, it would not be surprising if León gets Major League reps in 2026 with the Phillies as outfield injuries and depth needs inevitably arise.
