The biggest hole in the Philadelphia Phillies roster right now is at catcher, and the organization made a move on Friday to hopefully begin the process of filling that void.
Will Sammon of The Athletics reported that the Phillies and veteran catcher Mark Kolozsvary agreed to a minor league deal for the 2026 season. The contract also includes an invitation to major league spring training this February.
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Kolozsvary last appeared in a big league game in 2023 as a member of the Baltimore Orioles. A year before that, he made his MLB debut with the Cincinnati Reds.
Overall, the catcher doesn’t have a ton of major league experience, only appearing in 11 games and getting 20 at-bats over this two-year stretch. That said, Kolozsvary does have more experience at the minor league level, catching in 382 games after being selected in the seventh round by the Reds.
Throughout Kolozsvary’s minor league career, he’s registered a .213/.323/.354 slash line with an OPS of .677.
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Feb 19, 2025; Clearwater, FL, USA; a general view during Philadelphia Phillies spring training workouts at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
This one signing won’t have a massive impact on Philadelphia’s chances of winning a World Series in 2026. However, it does shed some light on the Phillies’ front office’s mindset as they await a decision from one of their top free agents.
Obviously, J.T. Realmuto has yet to re-sign in Philadelphia and is still on the open market. It would be great if the veteran backstop is back with the Phillies for another season, so the core can stay together. It’s almost the new year, and the two sides haven’t been able to come to an agreement.
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At some point, the Phillies may just have to move on to find a new catcher and get them acclimated with the team’s pitching staff. Maybe the organization views Kolozsvary as a contender to grab a roster spot for the Opening Day roster.
At the very least, Kolozsvary’s signing gives the Phillies more organizational depth at catcher in the event that Realmuto is playing next season in a different uniform. It will be interesting to see what other developments come from this signing and whether it means Realmuto’s time in Philadelphia is truly coming to an end.