Phillies’ Bizarre Reason for Snubbing Top Prospect Amid Veteran Recall Ignites Dombrowski Backlash

When the Phillies’ roster expanded in September, many expected elite prospects like Justin Crawford, Johan Rojas, and Otto Kemp to receive the call. Instead, they went for a 31-year-old catcher who raised a few eyebrows, asking one simple question: Why? Dave Dombrowski, the president of baseball operations, has finally answered. The explanation has analysts scratching their heads.

Garrett Stubbs is the player who got the call. Stubbs has a batting average of .215/.294/.311 in the major leagues. He played for the Phillies in the MLB before, and in 2022, he had some good spurts, hitting .273/.351/.475 in 106 at-bats. But let’s be honest, nobody’s calling up Stubbs for his bat. This season in Triple-A with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, he slashed a solid .265 with eight homers and five steals across 71 games. The numbers are okay but not great, which makes this call even more strange. 

Dave Dombrowski has finally given the reason behind it. As reported in TBOH, Dombrowski said, “As it stands right now, we’re having a hard time finding playing time for everybody on our roster as it currently is. We thought Stubby would be a nice addition. What it really gives us is the ability to have a third catcher if [manager Rob Thomson] wants to on the days [Rafael] Marchán catches, if he wants to give [J.T.] Realmuto off from catching, he could use him as a pinch-hitter, insert Stubbsy at that point.

He further elaborated by saying, “So that’s the kind of thought process of mine. Of course, he can play different positions. He’s been a winner. He’s done a great job for us at Triple-A, not only on the field but in the clubhouse. So, we thought it was a very well-deserved promotion, too.”

Dave Dombrowski indicated that Stubbs was elevated mostly so that the team could use J.T. Realmuto as a pinch-hitter without worrying about losing catching coverage. The strange thing? If they had instead promoted an outfielder or infielder—someone who could hit and play more every day—that same justification would have worked.

The Rafael Marchan factor makes this pick much more interesting. If the Phillies had sent their young backup catcher down to create room for a prospect, they would have risked losing him to waivers. Instead of risking Marchan’s future for the prospect of seeing Crawford or Kemp in September, they picked the safe route with Stubbs. The Phillies now have three catchers until the end of October, which seems like too much given that both J.T. Realmuto and Marchan are healthy.

Enter Matt Grazel of That Ball’s Outta Here, who wasn’t shy with the reaction. He called out the reason and wrote: “Simply promoting someone because they provide good vibes in the clubhouse is not a good enough reason to justify Stubbs’ promotion, even if it is the real reason why the Phillies are promoting him.” Spot on!

The backlash isn’t just directed against Stubbs; it’s also about squandered chances. Crawford, the third-best prospect in the organization, has been tearing up the minors and is the future of the team. Kemp and Rojas both have more upside and positional versatility than a third catcher who will probably spend most of the games in the dugout. Instead, the Phillies picked Stubbs at a time when every bat matters. Well, Stubbs wasn’t the only veteran they called for the majors. They also signed yet another veteran ace.

Phillies Plug Veteran Gaps With Buehler’s September Call-Up

The Phillies acquired Walker Buehler to bolster the back end of their rotation, illustrating their recent strategy of favoring experienced pitchers over young prospects. As he stated, “It helps because we were looking for experience.”

Buehler, a 31-year-old former star with the Dodgers, signed a minor league deal just before September 1, making him eligible for the postseason. The Red Sox acquired him from the Dodgers in December 2024 and are still responsible for most of his original $21.05 million contract after releasing him. However, the Phillies will only pay him the allocated MLB minimum salary.

The plan is clear: Buehler will go to Triple-A Lehigh Valley and start on Saturday. He will then join the Phillies on September 12 against the Royals, where he is expected to take a slot in the rotation as the team moves towards a six-man system.

The Phillies are sticking with a simple tactic: when the stakes are high, they prioritize steady experience over developmental promise. They’ve moved players around not just to get better, but also to make them more adaptable, calm, and ready for the playoffs. With experienced players, a record of 80-58, and sitting at the top in the NL East, can they make it to October and beyond?