A veteran catcher could be the Padres’ smartest offseason move

If the Padres are serious about tightening the margins in 2026, the cleanest path isn’t just a splashy bat or another moonshot on the mound. It could be a simple, grown-up answer behind the plate. Veteran catching is the kind of move that rarely trends, but it changes how a pitching staff breathes, how game plans land, and how one-run innings become clean zeros. San Diego doesn’t need a headline here; they need certainty that travels from February bullpens to October leverage. 

That doesn’t mean the catching situation is broken. It means the Padres are one smart addition away from insulating a position that quietly touches everything else. The club already stabilized the depth chart by acquiring Freddy Fermin at the 2025 deadline, and MLB.com framed that pickup as a “key spot” solution for the foreseeable future. Fermin is under team control through 2029, which matters for both budget and continuity. Pair that stability with an opportunistic veteran signing and you’ve essentially turned a past weakness into a durable competitive edge.

​​Why JT Realmuto fits the Padres now more than ever

Enter JT Realmuto, the most decorated catcher on the market and the obvious headliner if San Diego wants a short-term, high-impact partner for Fermin. Even with the offensive dip in 2025 (.257, .699 OPS over 134 games), Realmuto still outproduced what the Padres received from the position for most of the season.

More importantly, his value shows up where San Diego can cash it: controlling the running game and managing tempo. Realmuto’s caught-stealing above average has lived in the elite band (mid-90s percentile) and his pop time remains near the very top of the league (around the 99th percentile). Blocking and framing have slipped, and the bat isn’t peak 2022 anymore, but the run-prevention impact and institutional knowledge still travel immediately.

On fit, “modular catching” is the blueprint. Fermin offers a steady contact profile and baseline defense, he hit .251 with a .636 OPS after arriving, while Realmuto would bring a higher offensive floor and big-game handling. You can split workloads intelligently: Realmuto takes the lion’s share against top arms and pairs with the rotation’s frontline starters; Fermin absorbs volume, handles soft-landing matchups, and keeps the 35-year-old fresh for September and (ideally) October. That’s how you convert two good options into one position that consistently tilts games your way.

Now the reality check. Cost and term matter. The Padres have rotation holes with Michael King and Dylan Cease expected to hit free agency, and the payroll can’t solve everything at once. Realmuto, fresh off a five-year, $115.5 million deal, will draw strong interest, and at age 35 by Opening Day 2026, a long, expensive commitment is a poor match with San Diego’s needs. If the bidding turns into four or five years, the Padres should divert those dollars to starting pitching and treat catcher as a two-player solution rather than a single marquee answer.

San Diego’s timeline also argues for discipline. Ethan Salas is the crown jewel of the system and widely viewed as the long-term starter. He shouldn’t be rushed, but his presence is exactly why you avoid a multi-year overpay that blocks him. Meanwhile, Luis Campusano still shows real pop in the minors and remains a depth lever if the bat forces the issue. Put simply: Fermin can bridge the present, Salas anchors the future, and a short-term Realmuto deal, if the price is right, optimizes the two-year window in between without handcuffing the timeline.

There’s a strong chance Realmuto returns to Philadelphia. He’s integral to that pitching staff’s rhythm, stars in that clubhouse have advocated for him, and the catcher market is thin enough to make a reunion the path of least resistance. If that happens, the Padres’ plan doesn’t break. They can still target the Realmuto-adjacent profile, credible bat, elite run-game control, sturdy game-calling, to pair with Fermin and call the position solved.

Using JT Realmuto’s name out loud doesn’t change the calculus; it clarifies it. If he’s available on a short term, sensible AAV, San Diego should pounce and build a smart platoon that keeps him fresh and maximizes the staff. If the market demands years the Padres can’t justify, let Fermin’s cost control do the heavy lifting, keep developing Salas, and find a value veteran who checks the same boxes.