ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – MAY 01: J.T. Realmuto #10 of the Philadelphia Phillies before the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on May 01, 2024 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Getty Images
After another stellar regular season followed by another disappointing playoff exit, the Philadelphia Phillies seem poised to lose at least one long-time star contributor.
The team has seen Kyle Schwarber, Ranger Suarez and JT Realmuto all enter free agency and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has conceded that bringing all three back on new contracts could be an unrealistic expectation.
“Dombrowski said Schwarber, Realmuto, Suarez and (Harrison) Bader are the Phillies’ priorities, but it is unlikely they will re-sign everybody,” Todd Zolecki reported for MLB.com.
Following a career-best campaign that earned him a second-place finish in the National League Most Valuable Player Award voting, Schwarber will be the most expensive reunion of the bunch and perhaps the most likely to return, given his importance to the team’s offense and clubhouse. But Realmuto might be the most irreplaceable of the Phillies’ crop of free agent exits.
“Phillies pitchers, notably Zack Wheeler, swear by his game-calling; manager Rob Thomson marvels at his preparation,” Scott Lauber wrote for The Philadelphia Inquirer. “But the Phillies are planning for contingencies, especially at catcher, where the free-agent alternatives are strikingly unappealing.”
With Realmuto headlining the market at a premium position, the Phillies are sure to see some competition for his services. And if they’re unwilling to meet the veteran’s asking price or match the other offers he receives, they will have to turn to an alternative.
Dombrowski outlined the team’s backup plan during Major League Baseball’s general managers meetings in Las Vegas this week.
“If that happened, I don’t know what we would do, but we’ve explored options, had conversations to see who might be available, who may not be available,” the executive said, per Lauber. “So, at least you’ve done all that work, so now you have a pulse of, OK, let’s pick up the phone and see if we can get something done. I think we have a pretty good pulse of that already.”
Dombrowski made it clear that the Phillies would be bringing in a catcher, even if it’s not Realmuto. He noted that the primary option currently on the Phillies’ roster, Rafael Marchan, could handle the everyday role defensively but he questioned his offense.
So, if Realmuto leaves for another team, it seems the Phillies will be turning to the trade market as a backup plan.
“What always ends up being tricky is, if JT is our No. 1 alternative, well, then when do plans B, C and D start disappearing?” Dombrowski added, according to Lauber. “So, that’s where we need to have a pulse on those types of things so we don’t get caught short.”