At one point this winter, a reunion between free agent J.T. Realmuto and the Philadelphia Phillies felt inevitable. Still, as the winter carries on without a deal, the front office must be prepared that the veteran won’t be back next year.
That said, here are three potential Realmuto replacement options for the Phillies to explore before it’s too late.
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With the Phillies’ veteran pitching staff, adding a veteran catcher might be the best option for the organization. One player who would be an excellent fit for Philadelphia is free-agent backstop Joanh Heim.
Heim brings plenty of experience at 30 years old and even has a World Series ring on his resume. During his time with the Texas Rangers, he had the opportunity to work with some talented veteran pitchers, including Max Scherzer, Aroldis Chapman, Nathan Eovaldi, and Andrew Heaney, to name a few.
The Phillies should feel fine about Heim catching for some of their veterans like Aaron Nola, Jhoan Duran, Brad Keller, Jesus Luzardo, and hopefully Aaron Nola once he’s healthy.
May 21, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Texas Rangers catcher Jonah Heim (28) in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
While adding a veteran catcher may be the best route for the Phillies to take, taking a shot at trading for a former top prospect isn’t a bad idea either.
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With the Baltimore Orioles signing Smauel Basallo to a multi-year extension, Adley Rutschman could be made available for trade.
The 27-year-old was considered the top prospect in baseball for a while, but has never lived up to that hype at the big-league level. Even though the offense hasn’t been consistent, Rutschman has still been a solid defensive backstop, ranking in the 61st percentile in outs above average and the 76th percentile in framing during the 2025 season.
It’d be interesting to see how the Orioles are valuing Rutschman in terms of trade status, but if Realmuto doesn’t return, it wouldn’t hurt for the Phillies to call up Baltimore and check in.
If Realmuto doesn’t return next season, the Phillies’ next best internal option could simply be giving prospect Caleb Ricketts the opportunity to see what he can do at the big-league level.
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Ricketts has overall registered some respectable offensive numbers for a backstop at each level he’s played. He spent the majority of the 2025 season at Double-A, registering a .256/.303/.399 slash line and a .702 OPS.
The biggest concern is that Ricketts hasn’t made it past Double-A yet. However, he is 25 years old and is Rule 5 eligible, so the Phillies at some point must make up their mind with him. If Realmuto isn’t back, early 2026 could be the perfect time to do so.