Last spring training, Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto brushed off the idea that he needed more rest.

Instead, Realmuto hoped he would be able to overcome the aging curve of his position. His offseason plan set him up to become the first catcher since Yadier Molina to start 130 or more games in his 33-year-old season. But Realmuto fell well short of that marker, starting just 99 games.

That was largely due to factors outside of his control, like the right knee meniscectomy surgery that sidelined Realmuto for more than a month. But even so, it’s unlikely that 130 starts will be in the cards for 2025, either.

In a news conference last month, manager Rob Thomson posited that fatigue could have been a reason for the Phillies’ offensive collapse at the end of the year and their early postseason exit in the National League Division Series. He said the organization has discussed giving more players, especially Realmuto, more time off.

“Maybe by giving guys an extra day off here and there early, we can extend that run a little bit longer, right into October,” Thomson said. “ … I think if you give J.T. some time off, some more time off, I think his numbers will get better.”

Realmuto will be 34 next season, and will also be in the final year of his five-year, $115 million contract.

“He’s a tough guy,” Thomson said. “He’s a guy, like a lot of our guys, that want to play every day. I’ll have to do some convincing, I guess.”

Backup options

With Realmuto likely getting even more time off his feet, the reserves behind him become more important.

“I think we have some people capable of doing that internally, but I can‘t tell you that they’ll be for sure given the job,” Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies’ president of baseball operations, said in October. “We just have to keep an open mind as we explore that this winter.”

Garrett Stubbs is undoubtedly a big part of the Phillies’ clubhouse culture, and has the most experience after Realmuto working with the Phillies’ pitching staff. Defensively, Stubbs ranks in the 92nd percentile of pop time (which measures how quickly a catcher’s throw reaches a base on a steal attempt), and he had a 25% caught stealing rate.

But the element of Stubbs’ game that could hold him back from the 2025 backup job is his bat. In 54 games this season, Stubbs hit just .207 with one home run.

Rafael Marchán, 25, showed in brief stints with the Phillies that he could be an upgrade in that area. When Realmuto hit the injured list in June, Marchán was called up and showed off some power. In 17 games with the major league club, Marchán hit .294 with three home runs and six RBIs.

But Marchán has also proven to be injury-prone, which could be a risk. He suffered a lower back injury in spring training, and landed on the injured list again in August with a shoulder impingement. Marchán played just 38 minor league games this season.

“We like Marchán a lot,” Dombrowski said. “We think he’s a real good catcher, and he’s shown some offensive prowess also. He is out of options for next year. One of the things with Marchán that’s been unfortunate, he’s had a lot of injuries. But when he’s played, he’s played very well.”

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Aramis Garcia, who made three starts for the Phillies in September when Realmuto went down with a sore knee, entered free agency on Oct. 15.

If the Phillies want to look externally, it could be a tough sell for a catcher looking for consistent playing time, even with Realmuto taking more days off. But a veteran backup could make sense as a No. 2 option.

The Atlanta Braves declined their $8 million club option on Travis d’Arnaud, making him a free agent. D’Arnaud, who was drafted by the Phillies in 2007 but was sent to the Blue Jays in the Roy Halladay trade, signed a two-year, $12 million deal with the Angels on Tuesday. The 35-year-old played 99 games for the Braves this season and slashed .238/.302/.436. He hit 15 home runs in 2024 and has been effective against lefties.

Two veteran Padres catchers have also hit free agency: Kyle Higashioka, 34, and Elias Díaz, 34 next week. Higashioka arrived in San Diego as part of the Juan Soto trade, and despite being a career backup catcher, he eventually supplanted Luis Campusano in the starting role. In 84 games, Higashioka set career highs in home runs (17) and RBIs (45). Higashioka has also backed up Realmuto before, as the pair played together on Team USA at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Díaz had a down season, but is one year removed from being named 2023 All-Star Game MVP. He wound up with the Padres after Colorado released him in August, and hit .265 with six home runs in 96 games.

Prospect pipeline

Headlining the Phillies’ catching prospects is Eduardo Tait, whom the Phillies signed out of Panama in 2023 and is ranked as their No. 5 overall prospect. Tait, who turned 18 in August, is far from major league ready, with MLB Pipeline projecting a 2028 debut. His left-handed power has drawn interest from other clubs in trade talks, but the Phillies have stood firm.

In his U.S. professional debut this year, Tait slashed .302/.356/.486 in 79 games between rookie ball and low-A Clearwater. Defensively, scouts have been high on Tait’s arm, and he caught 22 of 71 (31%) runners stealing this season.

Caleb Ricketts, 24, is another lefty-hitting catcher ranked in the Phillies’ top-30 prospects. Drafted in the seventh round in 2022 out of the University of San Diego, Ricketts got off to a good start in 2023 but has since dealt with injuries. In 75 games with double-A Reading this season, Ricketts hit .219 with a .669 OPS and seven home runs.

In last year’s Rule 5 draft, the Phillies emphasized catching depth, selecting catchers Will Simoneit (Athletics), Carson Taylor (Dodgers), and Luis Caicuto (Diamondbacks). The Phillies traded Simoneit to the Cubs in June for cash.

Taylor, 25, has moved to first base. He put up solid numbers in 109 games with double-A Reading, hitting .277 with 16 home runs. He earned a promotion to triple-A Lehigh Valley in September.

Caicuto, 21, hit .218 in 65 games between Clearwater and high-A Jersey Shore. He is playing winter ball in the Australian Baseball League for the Adelaide Giants.