The Philadelphia Phillies enter the season as strong World Series contenders. Although they didn’t make many headline moves this offseason, their additions could still prove valuable.
With Opening Day approaching, the roster is nearly finalized but the team is still making late adjustments. In a recent move to strengthen their catching depth, the Phillies completed a minor trade.
According to reports, Philadelphia acquired former top prospect Carter Kieboom from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for cash considerations.
This deal isn’t expected to impact the Major League roster right away. Kieboom, who was once a highly regarded prospect with the Washington Nationals, has struggled to find success at the big-league level and will report to Triple-A.
At 28 years old, he provides organizational depth at catcher. Currently, Rafael Marchan serves as the backup to J.T. Realmuto, with Garrett Stubbs also in the mix leaving Kieboom as a deeper option on the depth chart.
Still, his strong 2025 minor league performance highlighted by a .319 batting average, nine home runs, 57 RBIs, 11 stolen bases, and an .817 OPS makes him an intriguing addition. His MLB track record has been less impressive, with a .597 OPS over parts of five seasons, and he struggled this spring as well.
Rather than releasing him, Cleveland dealt Kieboom to Philadelphia, where he’ll serve as extra catching depth and a potential depth piece if needed during the season.
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