Phillies: 4 catcher options if J.T. Realmuto signs elsewhere
Four Phillies starting catcher options in 2021, if J.T. Realmuto does not return.
The catching market is becoming razor thin — with James McCann and Mike Zunino off the table, signing deals with the New York Mets and Tampa Bay Rays, respectively. J.T. Realmuto remains available, but continues to draw attention from teams other than just the Philadelphia Phillies. On Saturday, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported that the Washington Nationals have interest in the free agent.
Related Story. Nationals among NL East teams in mix to sign J.T. Realmuto. light
Veterans and journeyman represent most of the market, including a future Hall of Famer and a former Phillies backstop from a couple of years ago. We have seen in the past that when given another chance, some experienced players have a resurgence in the late stages of the career — although the catching position is far less physically forgiving than others.
As Realmuto’s free agency lingers on, the Phillies still have not solidified their starting catcher for the 2021 season. Here are four likely options they will fall back on if the perennial All-Star signs elsewhere.
4. Andrew Knapp
Andrew Knapp is the most likely in-house option, given the Phillies recently re-signed him on a one-year, $1.1 million contract. This is not exactly the most ideal or reassuring statement.
So far, we have seen decent receiving and throwing skills from Knapp, but he would be a significant drop-off from Realmuto in the defensive aspect.
Offensively, Knapp looked more like the player the Phillies saw coming through the minors, hitting .273 over stints in 33 games. Pinch hitting hurts the average, so we could expect Knapp to continue his growth on the offensive side.
We haven’t seen Knapp’s production in a starting role, but at his ceiling, Knapp could go for 15 homers, and probably hit in the .250 range; or, he could revert to being a liability at the dish. I’d see him as a fallback option, but not necessarily a desperation move.
3. Wilson Ramos
Surprisingly, Wilson Ramos has been basically disregarded as a starting catching option, not even being put in the same class as James McCann — a guy with essentially two statistically significant seasons at the age of 30.
Ramos is two years older than McCann, and when the two are compared, Ramos has been better for longer — hitting 25 points higher than McCann over the course of their careers.
The difference seems to be injury. Ramos has been plagued with various minor injuries over his career, which makes one wonder if he can sustain an entire season behind the dish. The Phillies do have Andrew Knapp under club control, and Knapp has been more than serviceable as a backup option.
Ramos slashed .337/.396/.483 spanning 33 games in red pinstripes to close out the 2018 season. Since, in 186 combined games with the New York Mets, he produced a .276/.339/.410 slash line.
Ramos won’t command a ton of cap space, and in the Phillies would do well to get that kind of offensive production from the catching position for significantly less money than they would have spent on McCann.
2. Welington Castillo
Wellington Castillo represents the stopgap option. The journeyman began his career with the Chicago Cubs to moderate success and found better days as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2015 and 2016. Since, Castillo has bounced around, last playing for the Chicago White Sox in 2019.
Castillo is essentially average in every facet of the position, with a decent glove and power potential from the right side of the plate. He is another guy that won’t command a high salary; the Phillies might be able to get Castillo for the veteran minimum and platoon him with Knapp in a platoon scenario.
1. Yadier Molina
Future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina has been reported to be disgruntled with the St. Louis Cardinals as it relates to free agency negotiations. Molina is coming off what was supposed to be his last season in an Major League uniform, but after three more successful seasons on both sides of the ball, he still has more in the tank.
The Phillies could not only use Molina’s production and exceptional game-calling ability for a young pitching staff, but also his leadership as a player with immense amounts of postseason experience.
There is no guarantee that Molina will be able to work a full season, but his consistency dictates that the Phillies should be able to get a lot out of him under a one-year deal.
Furthermore, Molina attracts the attention of other veteran players, as players such as Molina help to develop a winning culture — something the Phillies have not had since 2011.
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