The Philadelphia Phillies could be looking to move their No. 4 prospect Eduardo Tait at the July 31 trade deadline. They only have J.T. Realmuto under contract for the rest of 2025, so there's a gamble to trading Tait in a potential deal with an obvious need remaining at the catcher position.
The Phillies will be active at the trade deadline in order to help out other aspects of the roster and in turn, may be willing to move on from a future Realmuto replacement to make that happen. The Phillies haven't seemed pressured to find another catcher since Realmuto joined in 2019, so the question of moving Tait is completely reasonable.
Idea of Phillies trading top catching prospect Eduardo Tait at the deadline actually makes sense
The Phillies have some decisions to make and that includes top prospects in their farm system (subscription required), according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. According to Gelb, even with Realmuto potentially walking after this year, that doesn't directly impact Tait and his value to the organization. Realmuto has started to show decline with a .665 OPS, but the importance of improving the team in other ways is more pressing for the team's World Series window right now.
The idea initially seems jarring that a team like the Phillies would want to get rid of their only possible catcher replacement right now, but it's not that far-fetched. If Tait is truly two or three years from MLB action, it's justifiable to move him for a decent return. Gelb thinks there's also a chance he could be moved off the catcher position entirely due to his build (subscription required). Tait is only 18 years old, so with Realmuto's contract expiring in just a few months, there's going to be a hole in the roster regardless.
Eduardo Tait swats his 10th home run for the @Threshers, tying him for the Single-A Florida State League lead 🌴
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) June 28, 2025
The Top 100 prospect (@Phillies) leads all 18-year-olds in homers and RBIs (42). pic.twitter.com/64XEYTn1ue
In his minor league career, Tait has hit .291/.354/.478, good for a .832 OPS and 24 home runs in 190 games. He's currently in Single-A Clearwater, hitting .256/.326/.446 with 10 home runs this season, and is looking promising to be a Major League contributor in the future. He could be enticing for other teams looking to replenish their farm system. For dealing Tait, the Phillies would hope to bring in bullpen help or possibly another outfield bat to help round out the lineup. They may not have to see him go, but if it comes down to it, the trigger might have to be pulled.