After a disappointing loss in the National League Division Series to the New York Mets, the Philadelphia Phillies’ season ended a lot earlier than many expected. The loss has sparked conversations about what the club’s upcoming offseason could look like.
The largest conversation being had is in regards to the club’s offense. The lineup wasn’t consistent during the second half of the year. It struggled for most of the NLDS. There’s some thought a change at hitting coach could be on the horizon. It’s possible the front office looks to alter the lineup. Doing so would give them a chance to better diversify a group of hitters that don’t always make a lot of contact while chasing pitches at a high rate.
Lineup changes could come in the form of an outfield realignment. Maybe an infield position opens after a trade of Alec Bohm or Bryson Stott. The former seems more likely than the latter, but who knows. The franchise has World Series aspirations. Managing partner John Middleton wants his trophy back. Anything and everything could be on the table.
Outside potential lineup reconfiguration, the Phillies are going to have to analyze a few other areas of their big-league roster. With Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estévez scheduled to be free agents, there will be some focus on the bullpen. Another area that the organization might have to think about is catcher.
J.T. Realmuto isn’t getting any younger. 2025 will be his age-34 season. It’s the last year of his current contract.
Realmuto appeared in 99 games for the Phillies in 2024. He was limited to that number of games after missing a little more than a month when he underwent a procedure on his right knee in June.
Before going 0-for-11 with three walks in the playoffs, Realmuto posted a .751 OPS in the regular season. While better than the average catcher (.678) and average big-league hitter (.711), it was the lowest single-season OPS of Realmuto’s Phillies tenure.
Behind the plate, Realmuto’s pop time and arm strength were still some of the best in baseball. His 1.85 average pop time ranked in the 97th percentile in 2024. Realmuto’s average arm strength on throws to second base (82.6 mph) ranked seventh among catchers. His 20% caught-stealing rate was right below the league average of 21%.
Something that can’t be measured is Realmuto’s strong ability to manage the Phillies’ top-tier pitching staff. He plays a part in the club’s pitching success.
It’s clear Realmuto can still be a productive player, both as a hitter and a catcher. But again, Realmuto isn’t getting any younger. While he’s also not going anywhere this offseason, the Phillies might start thinking about what their future looks like at catcher with Realmuto entering his mid-30s and the final year of his contract.
The position has become somewhat easier on the body in recent years as many catchers, Realmuto included, have switched to a one-knee setup behind home plate. The 33-year-old also puts an emphasis on taking care of his body. He has a routine that he follows to do just that.
Catcher is still a physically taxing position, though. And it’s not crazy to think the Phillies would prefer Realmuto to catch with less frequency moving forward. His 5,548 1/3 innings behind the plate are the most for any catcher since 2019, Realmuto’s first year in Philadelphia. He’s caught every postseason inning for the Phillies but one over the last three years, too. All those innings could catch up to Realmuto sooner rather than later. Time waits for no man.
If Realmuto does catch less in 2025, backup catcher will become a more important position for the Phillies. Current backup Garrett Stubbs has been important since he joined the organization in 2022. Aside from being dubbed “Chief Vibes Officer”, Stubbs is an active participant in the Phillies’ game planning for opposing lineups.
But Stubbs doesn’t offer much at the plate. In his three seasons with the Phillies, he has a .628 OPS. As the backup to a catcher playing a lot, Stubbs hasn’t been a bad fit. If Realmuto plays less in 2025, the Phillies may want to evaluate other options at backup catcher.
Rafael Marchán is an internal option the club could look at as competition for Stubbs in Spring Training. When Realmuto went on the injured list this past summer, Marchán split the catching duties with Stubbs. He looked the part behind the dish. In a small sample of 56 plate appearances, the switch-hitter posted an .894 OPS. But Marchán has an injury history. That’s certainly a con.
Outside of Marchán, there aren’t many big-league-ready catching options within the Phillies’ current pipeline. Aside from Realmuto, Stubbs and Marchán, there are no other catchers on their current 40-man roster. Aramis Garcia has been with the organization for a couple of years now. But he’s more of a depth catcher than a big-league backup. Their top catching prospect, Eduardo Tait, is only 18 years old and still a raw player years away from the majors.
Catcher won’t be the most important position for the Phillies’ front office to address this winter. It could be on their minds, though. There won’t be a blockbuster move to acquire a catching partner for Realmuto. He’s a gamer. He’s been adamant he can still catch a lot as he enters his mid-30s.
At some point, though, Realmuto will have to catch less. At some point, maybe as soon as 2026, he will no longer be a member of the Phillies. The organization has to prepare for those situations. This winter feels like a time to do that.
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barrym
October 14, 2024 at 1:38 pm
Wonder if Stubbs would or could take a coaching job and stay on that way…
Berksbaseball
October 14, 2024 at 2:37 pm
The 1 knee stance has cost us runs throughout the years. Ball get by him that do not get by other catchers who use the regular stance that allows them to cover more ground. As for his handling of the pitching staff, I question his pitch calling, The Mets were hammering the first pitch from Nola getting multiple hits in a row. They were all in the same location and all about the same speed. JT also seems adverse to throwing up and in to hitters no matter how many of our guys got hit. We should enjoy JT one more year and NOT resign him to another “best catcher in baseball” contract (which he surely isn’t anymore)
Toni
October 15, 2024 at 10:05 am
Bring Marchan back, he’s not only a great back catcher but is good at base hits to get on first
James Welsh
October 15, 2024 at 10:21 am
J.T. is one of the best catchers in baseball. if not the best catcher in baseball. and that’s what all the people who cover baseball have been saying for the past few years. he catches the way he does so he can do what he needs to do faster and he is faster to his feet. also what he does for hours before every game. Studying film on each player that the pitcher will be facing in the game. that’s what makes him the best catcher in baseball. I was reading about that a few years ago. it’s what he does that we don’t see. he is at the park like 6 in the morning. to put together the game plan and stubby is right with him. if the pitchers don’t pit the ball where J T. wants it. it’s not J T. fault he gives the pitchers what they need to know. the rest is on the pitchers.