Phillies rumors: Club in play for catcher J.T. Realmuto
How real are the Phillies rumors concerning J.T. Realmuto?
Phillies rumors have been quiet early in the baseball winter meetings, but the team has once again been linked to Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto.
Jon Heyman of Fancred tweeted Monday evening that the Phillies are among seven teams involved with trade talks for the Marlins’ catcher.
Realmuto’s agent said his client doesn’t expect to be in Miami going forward after they traded Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Kyle Barraclough, and Marcell Ozuna.
The 27-year-old is considered to be one of the best young catchers in baseball and is coming off a career-best 21 home runs and 74 RBI last year.
More from Phillies Rumors
- Phillies rumors: Club targets Seth Lugo for possible bullpen role
- Could Phillies sign 2nd former Mets starting pitcher in same offseason?
- Phillies rumor: Dansby Swanson could be club’s alternative to Trea Turner
- Rob Thomson apology hints possible Phillies blockbuster signing
- Phillies rumors: Club likely to land top shortstop on free-agent market
Philadelphia’s involvement in Realmuto is a tough rumor to look at. Last year the team essentially said they didn’t believe Jorge Alfaro and Andrew Knapp could get them into the playoffs, leading to a trade for Wilson Ramos.
Alfaro has been viewed as the catcher of the future since acquiring him from the Rangers for Cole Hamels. In 108 games last year Alfaro took a step forward offensively and flashed one of baseball’s best arms behind the plate, but his high strikeout rate and overall defense were poor. Knapp proved to be nothing more than a number three catcher, and the Phillies could easily upgrade the backup role if Alfaro is deemed as the starter.
Adding Realmuto would cost a lot, especially with the Marlins reportedly unwilling to trade him within the division. He’s got two more years of arbitration before hitting free agency and his potential continues to trend upwards.
A trade for Realmuto would likely cost the Phillies Alfaro and several top prospects. I’d be unwilling to make a deal for Realmuto despite him being an immediate upgrade. Alfaro’s ceiling is still high and the quantity of quality prospects needed to make a deal happen is likely too much, again, especially within the division.
Next. Early rumblings from the winter meetings. dark
Philadelphia should absolutely look to upgrade the backup role this offseason, and a trade for Francisco Cervelli or Alex Avila makes sense. Bringing in another young catcher doesn’t feel like the best move for Philadelphia at this moment.