In response to not signing Bo Bichette, the Philadelphia Phillies addressed their catcher situation by re-signing J.T. Realmuto last week to a three-year, $45 million contract. The veteran reportedly didn't have any other teams interested besides Philadelphia.
The deal takes care of the Phillies' opening at the position in the short term but doesn't get them any closer to resolving the issue they will eventually face: who'll catch once Realmuto's playing days are over?
While the Phillies are still a playoff contender, their core players aren't getting younger. Re-signing Realmuto doesn't help this issue, as he will turn 35 in March.
It hasn't happened yet, but will manager Rob Thomson give the backstop more rest during the regular season? It's difficult to imagine a healthy Realmuto still playing 130+ games a year for that much longer or if it's in his or the team's best interest to do so moving forward.
J.T. Realmuto's return just punts Phillies' question about their catcher of the future down the road
Is backup Rafael Marchán capable of being the Phillies' future starting catcher? The 26-year-old is the next man up should Realmuto miss time with an injury or get more rest this year. Whether Marchán has the ability for a starting role is unknown. In 42 contests last year, he totaled two home runs, 13 RBIs, and a .210/.282/.305 slash line with a .587 OPS.
Realmuto has been a valuable piece for the club since 2019, but Thomson needs to begin to cut back on his workload starting this season. His hitting has declined over the last few years.
The Phillies had a potential future option at catcher in prospect Eduardo Tait. He was progressing well in the minors with the Clearwater Threshers in Single-A last year. He had 11 home runs, 51 RBIs, and a .251/.322/.436 slash line with a .758 OPS in 75 games. In seven games with the Jersey Shore BlueClaws in High-A, the 19-year-old compiled six RBIs with a .296/.286/.407 line and a .693 OPS.
However, Phillies fans won't know if he could have been a future catcher for the club. Annoyingly, the organization traded Tait, along with young pitcher Mick Abel, to the Minnesota Twins for reliever Jhoan Duran at last year's trade deadline. If they had re-signed Carlos Estévez or Jeff Hoffman last offseason or the Jordan Romano addition had worked out, the Phillies wouldn't have needed to make another mid-season trade for a late-inning reliever.
Considering Tait was the No. 4 prospect in Philadelphia's minor league system according to MLB Pipeline at the time of the trade, he represented their best chance at a young catcher possibly being ready for a starting role with the Phillies by the time Realmuto's new deal expires at the end of the 2028 season.
The only options currently in their Top 30 MLB Pipeline prospect ranking are Caleb Ricketts (No. 22) and Alirio Ferrebus (No. 27). Per their MLB Pipeline scouting reports, Ricketts' major league ceiling is as a backup, while Ferrebus may also be used as a first baseman in the minors. If he reaches the majors, what position will he be playing by that time, catcher or first base?
It is anyone's guess who will be the Phillies' future starting catcher after Realmuto. It's frustrating that the organization didn't take this opportunity to get younger, still doesn't know who it will be, and chose to re-sign a veteran while the team is getting older.