Executive lists surprising Phillies All-Star as trade candidate: report

The Phillies are doing the opposite of rebuilding, but one executive thinks they could trade one of their veteran All-Stars this offseason.

In ESPN’s annual survey of major league executives released Tuesday, an anonymous executive told Jesse Rogers that he could foresee the Phillies catcher trading JT Realmuto this winter.

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“One executive thinks this could happen if Dave Dombrowski wants to shake things up after releasing a series of splits in October,” Rogers writes. “According to our voters, Realmuto might be the most tradeable player on the Phillies roster outside of (third baseman Alec) Bohm.”

Realmuto, 33, is coming off a rough year at the plate in which he slashed .266/.322/.429 with 14 homers and 47 RBIs in 99 games. A three-time All-Star, Realmuto is entering the final year of a five-year, $115.5 million contract signed in January 2021.

Realmuto is scheduled to earn $23.875 million in 2025. He is also owed $5 million in two installments, in July 2026 and 2027, as part of his original deferred money deal with the Phillies. The acquiring team would also owe Realmuto a $1 million bonus in the event of a trade.

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Given the relative dearth of offensive talent at the position and Realmuto’s still-viable skill set as a catcher, his 3 wins above replacement (per Baseball Reference) last season make him a desirable addition to any team. Realmuto turns 34 in March, which could lead to reduced playing time in 2025.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, only one of their top prospects is a catcher, and 18-year-old Eduardo Tait is several years away from major league duty at best.

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Other internal options to replace Realmuto on the Phillies roster include 25-year-old Rafael Marchan, who is already on their 40-man roster, and veteran backup Garrett Stubbs, who had a .558 OPS in 54 games this season last.

The Phillies lost their top prospect when they traded Logan O’Hoppe to the Angels in exchange for outfielder Brandon Marsh in August 2022. Marsh helped the Phillies reach the National League Division Series each of the last three seasons, while O’Hoppe established himself as the starting receiver in Anaheim.

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The trade also made it less likely that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski — who has always been reluctant to move established major league players — would deal Realmuto before his contract expired.

At least one leader can see this happening. For now, this is more likely speculation than an actual sign that the Phillies are in the market for a young catcher.

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