The Philadelphia Phillies reportedly have backup options at catcher if J.T. Realmuto doesn't re-sign.
We’re now three months into the offseason, and the Philadelphia Phillies and J.T. Realmuto are still at a standstill in contract negotiations. With that, Pitchers and catchers report to spring training next month.
At this point, the Phillies must be lining up a few backup options in the event that Realmuto isn’t back with the organization in 2026, and that’s apparently what they are currently doing.
Matt Gelb of The Athletic recently shed a little more light on Philadelphia’s plan for backstop next season. While the best option is still to re-sign Realmuto, the insider writes that the organization has “explored contingencies” for the catcher position.
With few options in the free agent market, Philadelphia could look to trade for a backstop to potentially take Realmuto’s place, such as Minnesota Twins backstop Ryan Jeffers.
“The Phillies have talked trades for catchers, young and old; Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers is one potential target, league sources told The Athletic. But the closer everyone gets to camps opening, the more reluctant teams are to trade away a catcher,” wrote Gelb.
May 10, 2019; Kansas City, MO, USA; A Philadelphia Phillies equipment bag is seen on the field during batting practice prior to a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken/Imagn ImagesIf the Phillies do opt to trade for a veteran catcher, Jeffers would be an ideal fit for the roster. Philadelphia has a largely veteran starting rotation, with Cristopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola, Jesus Sanchez, and eventually Zack Wheeler leading the way.
Jeffers has ample experience catching for experienced arms, working alongside starters such as Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, Chris Paddack, Sonny Gray, and Jose Berrios throughout his career with the Minnesota Twins. That should give the Phillies some confidence that he can handle their rotation.
Plus, Jeffers has logged some impressive offensive seasons, for a catcher’s standard, since debuting in 2020. The 28-year-old owns a .740 career OPS and hit a combined 30 home runs in the last two seasons.
The question then becomes, what would the Phillies need to give up to acquire Jeffers? The Phillies are clearly desperate for a catcher, which wouldn’t help in negotiations. As long as it’s not one of the team’s consensus top-three prospects, Philadelphia should be willing to give up a minor leaguer or two to add Jeffers.
One thing’s for sure: if Realmuto does end up signing somewhere else, the Phillies will quickly need to pivot to find their catcher, and trading for Jeffers wouldn’t be a bad backup option for the team to still win now.