Could the Philadelphia Phillies land this intriguing former Houston Astros player?
The Philadelphia Phillies have not been as active on the free-agent market as fans would like.
Yes, the Phillies re-signed Kyle Schwarber, but they haven't really done much else outside of taking a flier on outfielder Adolis Garcia.
Otherwise, they whiffed on Tatsuya Imai, Harrison Bader and Ranger Suarez both look like goners and they have yet to retain J.T. Realmuto.
Realmuto is the central issue for Philadelphia right now, as the Phillies don't really have any in-house options to replace him. So if he walks, Philly may have to explore the trade market or try and find a sleeper in free agency.
Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter rattled off some possibilities in the event that Realmuto does, in fact, depart, and one target he floated was former Houston Astros catcher Victor Caratini.
Caratini might be the best possible option for Philadelphia.
The 32-year-old slashed .259/.324/.404 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI over 386 plate appearances in 2025, good for a respectable .728 OPS.
Caratini has also historically been a very good defensive backstop, although he did exhibit significant signs of decline in that area this past season.
Victor Caratini. Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images.The former second-round pick made his big-league debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2017 and spent four seasons with the Cubs. He then bounced around between the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers before signing with the Astros.
Caratini owns a lifetime .244/.321/.371 slash line.
Is it the most attractive option in the world? No, but if Realmuto walks, it will be slim pickings for the Phillies, who would also have a difficult time landing someone via trade.
Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers would be a possibility in that regard, but Philadelphia may balk at the cost.
Realistically speaking, the best pathway for the Phillies is to re-sign Realmuto and call it a day, but he seems to be seeking more money than Philadelphia is offering at the moment.
Because Realmuto is, by far, the best backstop available in free agency, his market is surely pretty robust, even though he is obviously on the downside of his career.
We'll see if the Phillies can ultimately come to terms with him. If not, Caratini could be their next best bet.