Phillies Cut Ties With Veteran Backstop Just 1 Day After Reunion
The Philadelphia Phillies continue to adjust their catching depth, recently releasing veteran backstop Rene Pinto. This move came just days after the club re-signed Payton Henry, immediately assigning him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley as Pinto's apparent replacement. Pinto's tenure with the Phillies organization was marked by an injury-filled season, including a right hand fracture, which limited his offensive consistency. Despite never reaching the major league roster, Pinto provided crucial defensive stability and veteran guidance for young pitchers at Triple-A. His release signals the Phillies' ongoing effort to reshape their upper-level catching options, with Henry now filling that role. Pinto's experience could attract other teams.
The Philadelphia Phillies have continued shuffling their catching depth throughout the 2026 season, making several moves behind the scenes as they balance veteran experience with organizational needs.
While J.T. Realmuto remains entrenched at the major league level, the club continues to adjust its Triple-A catching situation and have now cut ties with a veteran backstop who was replaced earlier in the month.
Just days after bringing back a familiar organizational catcher, the Phillies made another move that signaled a change in direction for their upper-level depth chart.
That decision resulted in the departure of veteran backstop Rene Pinto, ending his stint with the organization amid an injury-filled season in the minors.
“The Phillies released C Rene Pinto,” Phillies Tailgate noted on X, with the official transaction log confirming the move.
The transaction came just one day after Philadelphia reunited with another experienced catcher, signing Payton Henry and then immediately assigning him to the Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley IronPigs on July 4, evidently as Pinto’s replacement on the roster.
That timing suggests the organization was looking to reshape its veteran catching depth and to replace Pinto with Henry as the former has struggled and the latter was newly available after a release from the New York Yankees organization.
While Pinto never reached the major league roster with Philadelphia, he served an important role for Triple-A Lehigh Valley despite a season marked by injuries and inconsistency behind the plate.
Ultimately, Pinto's value to the IronPigs extended well beyond his offensive production.
“Despite his offensive struggles, Pinto has provided a lot more defensive stability at the catcher position for the IronPigs, which has been a revolving door throughout the season,” Dan Sullivan wrote for Phillies Nation last month. “His impact goes beyond his reps behind the dish, though. (IronPigs manager Chris) Adamson, a former catcher, knows just how important it is to have a veteran presence working with young pitchers on a regular basis.”
Pinto’s season was disrupted by a lengthy injury absence that limited his opportunities to establish offensive consistency.
“After starting four of the IronPigs’ first seven games behind the dish, the 29-year-old went down with a right hand fracture that saw him out of action for two months,” Sullivan added. “A 3-for-12 performance at the plate across four games for High-A Jersey Shore early (in June) was enough to send him back to Lehigh Valley, but it’s been a rough stretch since.”
With Henry now back in the organization after a stint with Lehigh Valley last season and Pinto officially released, Philadelphia has once again reshaped its catching depth. Although Pinto's tenure with the Phillies proved brief, his defensive experience and work with young pitchers could make him an attractive option for another organization seeking veteran catching depth before the end of the season.