The Phillies added two infielders off waivers from the Giants on Thursday, claiming Brett Harris and Shay Whitcomb as they start to fill out a thinner-looking infield mix. At the same time, catcher Garrett Stubbs, who had been designated for assignment last week, elected free agency.
For the Giants, the moves are part of a broader roster cleanup. They entered the offseason with a lot of maintenance to handle, especially with a heavy load of players on the 60-day injured list.
That list disappears five days after the World Series ends, and that deadline is today at 4 pm Central. Free agency wasn’t going to clear much room either, with right-hander JT Brubaker their only player headed to the open market.
A few days ago, they were projected to sit at 56 players on the 40-man roster, which has pushed them into a string of transactions this week as they trim things down.
Harris is the more established of the two claims, though “established” still comes with a caveat. He’ll be 29 in June and has only played in 89 big league games, with 258 plate appearances and a .186/.293/.273 line.
Even so, he’s clearly drawn attention around the league. This is already his fourth team of the year.
He started 2026 with the Athletics, was designated for assignment in June, then moved to the Red Sox before landing with the Giants on waivers. Now he’s been claimed again.
The appeal is easy to see from the minor league track record. Harris has generally hit there, and he brings defensive flexibility with experience at all four infield positions.
He’s only seen shortstop sparingly in the minors and has never played it in the majors, but that versatility still matters. Over the last three years, he has logged 895 plate appearances in the minors, all at Triple-A except for a few brief Complex League rehab stints.
In that span, he posted a 12.5% walk rate, 18.1% strikeout rate, a .286/.388/.460 line and a 109 wRC+.
There’s also a roster wrinkle now that Harris is out of options, which makes it tougher for him to stick. The Phillies could wind up putting him back on waivers later this offseason.
If he does hold onto a spot, he’d be in the mix for a bench role. Philadelphia just lost Luis Arraez, Alec Bohm and Edmundo Sosa to free agency, leaving the infield wide open for now.
The current projection has Bryce Harper at first and Trea Turner at short, while Bryson Stott could end up at second or third depending on how the rest of the offseason unfolds.
In Other News...
Phillies Rumor Could Be About More Than Adding Another Starter
Free agency opens Nov. 2, and the Phillies are already being linked to one of the more intriguing arms on the market in right-hander Freddy Peralta. His name makes sense on the surface for a club trying to sort through payroll questions and the uncertainty that comes with the next round of CBA talks, but the fit may go beyond simply plugging another starter into the rotation. Peraltas rise after being traded to the Tampa Bay Rays only adds to the appeal, especially for a team that values flexibility.
For Philadelphia, a move like this could ripple beyond the mound. A starter of Peraltas caliber would not only deepen the rotation, it could also give the front office more room to maneuver if it decides to reshuffle the roster elsewhere. In a winter where every financial decision may carry extra weight, the Phillies appear to be looking at ways to strengthen the club without boxing themselves into one path. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Shortstop Pressure Just Put A Massive Name In Play
The Phillies head into the offseason with an uncomfortable question at shortstop, and it is one they cannot really ignore after the way Trea Turner finished. His defensive struggles and offensive decline have put his hold on the everyday job under real scrutiny, which is why the front office is expected to at least look outside the organization before settling on a plan for next year.
One of the names that naturally comes up in that kind of search is Corey Seager, a player with the kind of offensive and defensive track record that would immediately change the conversation in Philadelphia. The fit is not simple, though, because any pursuit would have to account for his injury history and the size of his contract, making this less about a clean upgrade and more about whether the Phillies are willing to chase a big swing at a premium position. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Just Created A Quiet Infield Twist For The Offseason
The Phillies spent a quiet stretch of the roster calendar adding some infield depth, claiming Brett Harris and Shay Whitcomb off waivers from the Giants. It is the kind of move that can look minor on paper but matters in the margins, especially for a club trying to keep options open as the offseason takes shape. At the same time, catcher Garrett Stubbs and infielder Alec Bohm elected free agency, a reminder that the roster churn around this point of the year can move quickly.
Philadelphia also reinstated several players from the 60-day injured list to the 40-man roster, including Flix Reyes, Brad Keller, Caleb Kilian and Johan Rojas. Those transactions do not settle the bigger questions facing the club, but they do sharpen the picture of how the Phillies are managing depth and flexibility heading into the winter. The infield, in particular, now has a slightly different look than it did a day ago, and there may be more movement still to come. [Read more 🡒]