The Phillies have released catcher Cameron Rupp, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports. The club had designated him for assignment on Sunday, which meant Andrew Knapp won the contest to back up Jorge Alfaro.
Rupp, 29, hit a disappointing .189 in 41 plate appearances this spring in Grapefruit League play. He’s been lackluster at the plate over parts of five seasons in the majors, owning a career .705 OPS. Rupp also doesn’t receive high marks for defense and framing.
In releasing Rupp, the Phillies are only on the hook for about one-fourth of his $2.05 million salary for the 2018 season, effectively saving them about $1.5 million.
