With the offseason starting to heat up, the Tampa Bay Rays might be getting into some competition for an ideal free agent with another team from their division. 

Even though it is very early in the winter and a lot can change, it is clear that the American League East is once again going to be one of the best divisions in baseball. This is a group that isn’t afraid to spend money for the most part, and there are a lot of great players. 

For the Rays, they are trying to keep pace with some of the teams despite their payroll being much less. Tampa Bay has always been able to operate successfully despite this, but that is seemingly growing more challenging. 

Like the other teams in the division, the Rays have some needs that they would like to address this winter. Unfortunately, one of their most pressing needs is also a position that a division rival is reportedly interested in upgrading as well. 

Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic (subscription required) recently wrote about the Boston Red Sox expressing an interest in an ideal target in free agency for the Rays. 

J.T. Realmuto Would Be a Massive Upgrade for Tampa BayPhiladelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto

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It is no secret that the catcher position has been a mess for the Rays for the last several years, and the team would love to improve it and get it to at least league average in terms of offensive production. Currently, the options for the franchise heading into the 2026 campaign aren’t great. 

Neither Nick Fortes nor Hunter Feduccia was able to separate themselves when given the opportunities in 2025, and the need for a proven catcher is clearly there for the Rays. In terms of Realmuto, he would be the best option in free agency for the team. 

Even though he might not be an All-Star caliber player anymore and his offensive production has dipped a little in recent seasons, he is still much better than anything that the team has had. In 2025 with the Philadelphia Phillies, .257/.315/.384 with 12 home runs and 52 RBI in 134 games played. 

With an OPS right at the .700 mark, Realmuto isn’t the offensive player he once was, but those numbers are far better than anything that Tampa Bay has seen from the position. Hopefully, the Red Sox’s interest in signing him is nothing more than that, and the Rays can find a way to sign him this winter. 

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