Red Sox linked to J.T. Realmuto free agent signing from Phillies originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
J.T. Realmuto may not be the catcher he once was.
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But if he left the Philadelphia Phillies for the Boston Red Sox in free agency, that’d still be a big deal.
And according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey, that’s a possibility the Red Sox are looking into.
“Acquiring another catcher is not among the Sox’s top priorities, or so it has seemed,” they write. “But the Red Sox are showing interest in J.T. Realmuto, according to people briefed on their discussions. The usual caveats apply. It is early in free agency. Teams are touching base with a large number of players. The best guess with Realmuto is that he will still re-sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, his team since 2019.”
OK, so they pour some cold water on the situation pretty quickly.
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But the fact that the Red Sox have checked in suggests they’re at least looking for a way to upgrade their catcher situation.
Carlos Narvaez started the 2025 season strong but struggled down the stretch, and Connor Wong really never got it going the entire season.
Realmuto has declined offensively but still has skill in the box, and he remains a strong defender.
The Athletic has projected Realmuto to get a three-year, $45 million contract.
They also reference the Rangers, Giants, Pirates and Reds as teams that could have interest.
In 2025, Realmuto hit .257 with 12 home runs and a .700 OPS. He maintains his top-tier pop time and is one of the fastest catchers in the league.
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If Boston gets him, it’d be an improvement, for sure.
