Apr 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Phillies acquired J.T. Realmuto from the Miami Marlins prior to the 2019 season. Realmuto was entering his age-28 campaign, and had two years of arbitration remaining before free agency. In parts of seven seasons with the Phillies, Realmuto has established himself as probably the greatest catcher in franchise history.
But with Realmuto set to become a free agent after the 2025 season, could the Phillies take a similar route in trying to find his successor?
That's a conversation worth having with the Baltimore Orioles in town. A few seasons ago, Adley Rutschman seemed destined to have a Hall of Fame career. Even for an Orioles team that hasn't traditionally been a big spender, Rutschman appeared to be someone they had to find a way to keep long-term.
But he's sputtered out over the last year. Since the 2024 All-Star Break, Rutschman is hitting just .222 over 481 at-bats. He has just a .708 OPS this season. That's 100 points lower than the .808 OPS he posted between 2022 and 2023, his first two MLB seasons. He does still have seven defensive runs saved, but the dip in offensive production makes you wonder whether general manager Mike Elias and the O's will be as protective of Rutschman moving forward as they would have been if he had continued to perform like a superstar.
If the Phillies were to trade for Rutschman, the thinking would be that he's too talented of a player not to get back to performing like an All-Star. You would be adding a switch-hitter to a lineup that's overly left-handed, and while it would still require giving up pretty significant prospect capital, Rutschman could be your long-term answer at a premium position.
While Rutschman will get a raise from his $5.5 million salary in 2026 — his penultimate year of arbitration eligibility — it will still probably be cheaper than whatever Realmuto gets in free agency. As Kyle Schwarber's price skyrockets, any extra savings might help president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski to retain the NL MVP candidate and still build a World Series-caliber roster.
The other reality is that Rutschman is seven years younger than Realmuto. Even if Realmuto is no longer at the height of his powers, the combination of him still being productive and his excellent reputation around the league will likely mean he garners a two or three-year commitment this offseason. Making that commitment might ultimately be the best path for the Phillies, but it would definitely be risky to sign another mid-30s player with Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and, you hope, Schwarber signed well into their 30s. Eventually, you have to get younger.
This is probably a conversation worth revisiting in the offseason, at which point Realmuto may have helped the Phillies to win a World Series. But Rutschman would be an interesting pivot behind the dish in the offseason if the Phillies are inclined to consider their options.
