Earlier this week, our own Ethan Witte wrote about possible destinations for J.T. Realmuto in free agency. It’s possible that Realmuto could receive a three-year deal despite turning 35 before Opening
Day 2026. Realmuto is not the same player he once was, and he is clearly in the beginning of his decline. He posted his lowest OPS (.700) since his first full season in 2015 and his lowest WAR (2.5) for a non-COVID season since 2016.
That said, Realmuto is still arguably the best available free agent catcher. His 91 OPS+ and 2.5 WAR may seem pedestrian, but let’s look at the other free agent catchers and their performance in 2025:
- Danny Jansen, 30, 2.8 WAR, 101 OPS+, 98 games
- James McCann, 35, 1.0 WAR, 107 OPS+, 42 games
- Gary Sánchez, 32, -0.4 WAR, 100 OPS+, 29 games
- Mitch Garver, 34, -0.1 WAR, 86 OPS+, 87 games
- Victor Caratini, 32, 0.9 WAR, 101 OPS+, 114 games
- Christian Vázquez, 35, 0.6 WAR, 52 OPS+, 65 games
- Tom Murphy, 34, did not play in 2025
Needless to say, that list is bleak.
It’s clear that the Phillies have a need for Realmuto and from all reports it seems that the interest in a reunion is mutual. But it’s also not hard to see Realmuto getting a better deal elsewhere because the market is just so bereft of options. If that happens, the Phillies will be left with a gaping hole at catcher with no clear in house replacement on the horizon.
Rafael Marchán got his first extended look as Realmuto’s backup in 2025 and did not impress, logging a .587 OPS across 42 games with 4 defensive runs saved. There’s little to no evidence that Marchán could ascend to a full time MLB starting catcher role and be serviceable. Behind him, there is Garrett Stubbs and Caleb Ricketts in Triple-A and no standout prospect in the wings. The trade of Eduardo Tait to Minnesota for Jhoan Duran subtracted the only interesting catching prospect in the Phillies organization.
If Realmuto were to leave, the Phillies would almost certainly be forced to look outside the organization for a new starting catcher. We’ve already shown the depressing free agent market, so that would likely mean a trade would be necessary.
Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman is sure to be the first name to come up in any catcher trade discussions this winter. The 27-year-old former top prospect has regressed heavily in back-to-back years and finished with a .673 OPS in 90 games in 2025. His slugging percentage has fallen dramatically in two straight seasons, falling from .391 in 2024 to a feeble .366 in 2025. Nevertheless, Rutschman is still an attractive trade target, as he is under team control through 2028 and still has that number one prospect pedigree, even if the shine has worn off in recent years.
Ryan Jeffers of the Twins could also be a trade option. Minnesota has just begun the process of a teardown as evidenced by their fire sale at the 2025 trade deadline. Jeffers will turn 29 in June and has a career slash line of .239/.321/.419 in 515 career games in six seasons with the Twins. He had an around average 2025, hitting .266 with a .752 OPS in 119 games. But he also saw his power plummet, as his slugging dropped from .432 in 2024 to .397 in 2025 and his home run total go from 21 to 9. However, Jeffers did post career bests in strikeout rate (19.6%) and walk rate (10,8%) in 2025. The major downside to Jeffers though is he is not particularly strong defensively, as he graded out poorly in framing, throwing, and blocking and has been worth -15 catching runs in his career.
These are just two hypothetical options of what the Phillies could look for to replace Realmuto. It may not be ideal, but the easiest and possibly best path forward for the Phillies is to re-sign Realmuto on a short-term deal while continuing to look for an heir. But that is far from guaranteed. So, what should be the Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto backup plan?
