The Philadelphia Phillies had priorities this winter. They set the expectation of doing the fan-favorite outcome and trying to re-sign both slugger Kyle Schwarber and catcher J.T. Realmuto. They accomplished bringing Schwarber back on a five-year, $150 million contract. Realmuto, however, remains on the market as the Phillies get ready to head into the holidays.
The Phillies have already made a multi-year offer to the tenured catcher and have been on standby for a couple of weeks now as they await a decision. Realmuto's return is still expected, but the Phillies can't push all their chips in, assuming it'll still work out.
Realmuto is exploring all possible free agent contract offers, and the Phillies are doing their homework as a backup plan to fill the position.
Phillies are planning in the event they need to move on from J.T. Realmuto
Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported this week that the expectation remains the same that a reunion will happen (subscription required). The Phillies have offered multiple multi-year deals in an effort to bring him back. The problem lies with the length that the offseason has dragged.
According to Gelb, the Phillies have been exploring trade options to find a new catcher if they decide they need to pivot. The catching free agent market is weak outside Realmuto, so the trade market is where they'll likely spend their efforts so they don't shortchange themselves.
Current catchers Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs are out of minor league options so they could be exposed to the waiver wire. That gives credence to the ongoing trade conversations the Phillies are rumored to be having with other MLB clubs.
Nothing is imminent, but the Phillies would have to make a move if Realmuto signs elsewhere. Speculation would assume they're possibly looking at other options like the St. Louis Cardinals' Pedro Pagés, the New York Yankees' J.C. Escarra, the Cincinnati Reds' Jose Trevino, and the Boston Red Sox's Connor Wong.
Again, Realmuto has remained the main objective as he's been the Phillies' catcher the last seven seasons. He knows the pitching staff extremely well and even heading into his age-35 season, he still grades as a top player at the position. He hit .257 with a .700 OPS across 134 games but still has one of the best arms behind the plate.
The worst-case scenario is that Realmuto finds a better deal elsewhere and the Phillies trade for a younger and cheaper alternative. They could reinvest his estimated $13-$16 million back into the payroll and go out and get a big free agent instead. Either way, the Phillies still have the expectation of bringing him back, but it's bad business to make certainties out of any free agent, regardless of who it is.