Phillies warned their star's catcher next contract could come from Padres

Currently, there are no rock-solid long-term free agent catchers in the market this offseason. While that may hurt some teams, it's actually good news for the San Diego Padres.

Right now, the Friars have to wait for their top prospect Ethan Salas to develop in the minor leagues before he becomes the every day option. This gives the organization some liberties to piece together short-term fixes at catcher. Freddy Fermin was formidable as a trade acquisition this past season to fill the gaps in production from Elias Diaz, Martin Maldonado, and Luis Campusano. But, Fermin is a bridge, not a cornerstone player for the Padres. Diaz elected free agency. Maldonado retired with the hopes of coaching one day.

With that in mind, the Padres could likely pursue another catcher this offseason — one who will ideally be productive for two-to-three seasons. There is one perfect candidate to fill this role and will allow Salas to develop without rushing him. Phillies All-Star J.T. Realmuto is on the market, and it doesn't seem likely that the catcher will sign back with Philadelphia. In fact, there are reports of Realmuto leaning towards San Diego already.

Padres' short-term catching problem can be fixed by signing J.T. Realmuto this offseason

Is Realmuto the same player he was at the start of this decade? He's not, but he doesn't be, either. Realmuto will be 35 years old at the start of the 2026 season, but he still provides a ton of value as an elite defensive catcher and superb base-runner. Remember his inside-the-park home run in the 2022 postseason? Electric stuff. He still has that rare speed, too.

Despite being in his mid-30s at a demanding position, Realmuto registered a 2.5 bWAR, 39 extra-base hits, and a .257 batting average. Those aren't your typical J.T. Realmuto numbers, but they are still better than most catchers nowadays. He also showed plenty of life in the NLDS this year against the Dodgers. He batted .353 against the World Series Champs in four games with three extra-base hits and three RBIs. Solid, veteran players always seem to come up clutch in the playoffs, and Realmuto is the living embodiment of that.

Let's not forget that the Padres struggled mightily at the plate this past postseason. Adding another reliable bat come October would be huge. San Diego isn't just looking at making improvements at catcher, though. Adding another starting pitcher and a right-side infielder are also priorities. But, Realmuto's fit into the Padres' lineup seems like an easy patch-up until Salas is ready to take over as the franchise's supposed next great player.