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Plan A for the Phillies is to bring back J.T. Realmuto, who is a free agent and will turn 35 before next season. Relative to the rest of the league's catchers, Realmuto remains among the best, despite his wear and tear (no one caught more innings in 2025). One might imagine it's the years, not the dollars, that the Phils' front office will be worried about — a drop-off is inevitable in his production and health. But there is a history of catchers playing well into their late 30s, and it seems like Realmuto could be one of those guys. Another team could make a huge offer — he's a free agent, after all — and the Phillies need to have a contingency plan. The problem is, the options just aren't there. There is no upgrade for Realmuto ,and there are few everyday options even available on the open market. Rafael Marchán is the in-house everyday catcher option, and frankly, he might be better than what's out there. Here's a look at their options at catcher, most of which will make it seem more important for Dave Dombrowski to strike a deal with the fan favorite. Not really an option Salvador Perez has a club option at $13.5 million, and if he becomes a free agent the Phillies should definitely be interested. He's a nine-time All-Star and has five Silver Slugger awards and five Gold Gloves on his mantle. But he's been a Royal for life, having played all 14 seasons there and he's actually a few homers shy of having the all-time franchise record. It seems unlikely he'll hit the open market. A good No. 2 or platoon option James McCann is a good offensive catcher, he hit .260 last year with the Diamondbacks. But he only played in 42 games, backing up Gabriel Moreno. He is 35, and a part-time player these days. Danny Jansen hit .254 after being traded from Tampa to Milwaukee, but he didn't even see the field for the NL Central champs in the postseason, backing up William Contreras. He's just 30, but he's also only played more than 100 games once in his MLB career. Gary Sánchez was elite for the Yankees in his mid-20s, but he hasn't been a starting catcher since 2022 and hasn't hit 20 homers since 2021. He is more of a backup who has a little pop and can play DH. Mitch Garver backed up Cal Raleigh, who hit 60 homers and is probably going to be AL MVP. Garver will be 35 next season and is a career .233 hitter. Elias Díaz is probably the most interesting of these options, as he was an All Star back in 2023 and last year hit .265 for two different teams. He had a down year as the everyday backstop for the Padres in 2025 hitting just .204. Trade targets The open market is not going to yield a replacement for Realmuto. But the trade market might. If Realmuto does walk, the Phillies will probably be aggressively pursuing a handful of catchers who are rumored to be available via trade. Ryan Jeffers had a great season in Minnesota, hitting .266 and playing in 116 games. The Twins and Phillies made two trades together in 2025, at the deadline for Harrison Bader and Jhoan Duran, so these front offices know one another. Jeffers has one year of team control left in 2026. He isn't the defensive master that Realmuto is, but he's an average defender who can handle a pitching staff. He's also 28, and could be a long-term investment after his arbitration is through. Jonah Heim is an one-time All-Star and former Gold Glover who has double-digit home run pop. He also has one year left of arbitration and is probably a cheaper option for the Phillies if Jeffers falls through. He's a switch hitter who has been extremely healthy over his career with the Rangers. Willson Contreras (not William, who remains under team control in Milwaukee for 2026) is sort of a stretch on this list — he was moved from catcher to first base full time last year after catching for nine years in Chicago and St. Louis. But the Cardinals are looking to get younger and rebuild and Contreras' slash line of .257/.344/.447 with 20 homers and 80 RBI are very appealing. Would he go back to the battery? The 33-year-old signed a five-year, $87.5 million deal and is slated to earn $18 million next year and $18.5 million in 2027 before a club option in 2028. St. Louis wants to move that. SIGN UP HERE to receive the PhillyVoice Sports newsletter Follow Evan on Twitter:@evan_macy Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Sports
