Latest J.T. Realmuto hint proves Phillies could pull off a free agent coup

The Philadelphia Phillies have met with Bo Bichette, an indication that they are interested in signing the Orlando, Florida, native. Philadelphia's remaining position of need to address is at catcher.

According to MLB insider Jim Bowden, no clubs have made a contract offer to J.T. Realmuto besides the Phillies. Could the organization do what seemed impossible before and re-sign the backstop while also adding a top infielder in free agency?

The Chicago Cubs are one less rumored interested franchise pursuing Bichette, following the addition of Alex Bregman. It’s unknown if the Phillies made a contract offer to Bichette during their meeting or if they will.

The impression from the president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and managing partner John Middleton is that they would prefer not to go too far over the final luxury tax threshold. That seems unavoidable if they sign Bichette and especially if they add Realmuto as well.

Free agent J.T. Realmuto doesn't have any interest besides the Phillies

Bowden provided the latest update on Realmuto's market on Power Alley on Sirius XM Radio's MLB Network hosted by former general manager Jim Duquette and Mike Ferrin.

"I think the right play [for the Phillies] is bringing Realmuto back for one year, and I don't think Realmuto has a lot of options,” Bowden said. “I have not heard of a single team that is in on Realmuto right now. If he wants to keep playing, I think he probably needs to do this deal with the Phillies."

Realmuto continues to decline offensively, and he'll turn 35 in March. He has played a minimum of 134 games in four of the last five years. Of those four seasons, his 12 home runs, 52 RBIs, and .699 OPS in 2025 were his lowest totals. The Del City, Oklahoma, native had a .257/.315/.384 slash line last year as well.

According to MLB insider and New York Post columnist Jon Heyman, the Phillies and Realmuto aren't making progress on a new contract (subscription required).

The Phillies could add both Realmuto and Bichette, particularly if they are able to agree to a cheap deal with the veteran backstop thanks to the lack of teams interested in his services. Due to the luxury tax penalty the Phillies will pay if they sign Bichette, how serious a suitor are they to sign the infielder? MLB insider and The Athletic contributor, Ken Rosenthal, said on Fair Territory that he believes the Phillies are the favorite to sign him.

According to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, the Phillies are very interested in adding Bichette, despite the roster moves Dombrowski would need to make to clear cap space for the 27-year-old. It is far from a guarantee that they will re-sign Realmuto if they add Bichette but finding another option at catcher looks to be a tough business decision.

While there is some competition for Bichette, the same can't be said for Realmuto at the moment. In terms of playing for a championship-contending team, the Phillies represent the best option for the catcher. Depending on how Bichette's market plays out, the club could be the top organization to sign him too.