Trade deadline offers Phillies few J.T. Realmuto replacements, at least at catcher

The thing that makes J.T. Realmuto so valuable is the thing that makes him so hard to replace.

There simply aren’t many catchers who do what he does.

Any discussion of the Phillies’ options ahead of Realmuto’s pending knee surgery has to begin there. There are no options. At least, none that are likely to be available during the bulk of Realmuto’s absence, which president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski estimates to be about a month.

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They can and should be scouring the trade market for a veteran catcher who offers more upside than Garrett Stubbs and more certainty than Rafael Marchán. But deals are difficult to do this far ahead of the trade deadline. Deadlines exist for a reason, after all. Asking prices remain high until everybody is forced to make a call. One assumes that the Phillies’ premium will be even steeper, given their suddenly asymmetrical leverage. Desperation comes with a penalty. Every trade partner will assume the Phillies are operating with a considerable degree of it.

Asked on Tuesday if Realmuto’s injury will impact his trade deadline needs, Dombrowski said: “Not at this moment.”

But in a world where price is no object, the Rockies would be the team to watch. Not only do they rank among the surest of sellers in the coming months, they have a couple of veteran catchers who are free agents-to-be and in the midst of solid seasons at the plate. Elias Díaz and Jacob Stallings come with solid defensive reputations. Diaz was an All-Star in 2023. Stallings was a Gold Glover in 2021. Either would be an ideal fit as a long-term sub during Realmuto’s recovery and a seasoned backup once he returns.

The 33-year-old Díaz has handled the bulk of the Rockies’ starting duties in 2024, hitting .303/.352/.439 with five home runs in 216 plate appearances. That includes a solid .294/.356/.402 line outside of Coors Field.

Stallings, 34, has thrived in a backup role after a couple of brutal offensive seasons with the Marlins. He entered Tuesday hitting .287/.370/.437 with three home runs, including a clutch pinch-hit blast against the Phillies last month. From 2019-21, he posted a .331 on-base percentage and .705 OPS in 780 plate appearances for the Pirates.

Of course, neither Díaz nor Stallings has a track record that would lead you to bet on them sustaining their current paces. Another potential option is the Oakland Athletics’ Shea Langeliers (12 home runs, .444 slugging percentage, albeit with a .263 OBP). Beyond that trio, there isn’t much.

At this point, the Phillies’ strongest play is probably to use the next couple of months as an opportunity to see what they have in Marchán, who has battled injuries the last couple of seasons. Marchán spent a couple of stints with the Phillies in 2020-21 at the ages of 21 and 22. He flashed some power back then, with four extra-base hits in 65 big league plate appearances.

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Still only 25 years old, Marchán has 20 extra-base hits in 247 plate appearances at triple-A Lehigh Valley over the last couple of seasons. His 2024 debut was delayed because of a back injury. In nine games at triple A, he is 7-for-32 with two extra-base hits and a .350 on-base percentage. He served as the extra man for the Phillies’ two-game series in London.

Of course, offense is only part of the equation when it comes to replacing a catcher who is as well-regarded by his pitching staff as Realmuto. You can argue that he isn’t the same force he was when the Phillies acquired him from the Marlins six years ago. That’s probably true. The strikeout rate has ticked upward (21.2% in 2022, 25.6% in 2023, 26.9% in 2024). The exit velocities have ticked downward (90.3 mph to 89.8 to 89.4). His current walk rate of 5.4% would be his lowest since his second full season in the league.

You can even argue that Realmuto is no longer a top-five hitter at his position, thanks to the emergence of a new generation of young backstops with premium bats. The list of catchers with .340-plus on base and .440-plus slugging percentages over the last three seasons includes Will Smith (Dodgers), Willson Contreras (Cardinals), William Contreras (Brewers), Adley Rutschman (Orioles), and Sean Murphy (Braves). The Phillies’ comparative advantage at catcher isn’t nearly as great in 2024 as it was when Realmuto first arrived.

One thing you can’t argue: Realmuto is one of the rare players in baseball who is a cornerstone player in both the lineup and the field. The strength of this Phillies roster is its abundance of players who bring above-average offense at positions where teams are often forced to sacrifice in favor of defense.

The trade deadline usually does not offer many ready-made replacements for such players. The Phillies’ best option right now: Lean on their pitching, count on their remaining stars, and save their trade chips to fortify the bullpen whenever the deadline spurs action.