TL;DR
- Philadelphia Phillies face busy winter with key players on open market.
- Retaining Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto are top priorities for the Phillies.
- Adley Rutschman is a potential catcher target if J.T. Realmuto departs.
- Acquiring Rutschman would require trading top prospects like Gage Wood and Alex McFarlane.
The Philadelphia Phillies are projected to be plenty busy over the winter months. They have three big-name players on the open market and a few other key contributors.
The front office's actions to retain Kyle Schwarber will draw significant focus. He stands as a key team leader and contributes substantially to their offensive output.
Nonetheless, there's also a chance they could lose J.T. Realmuto, who assumed the catcher role in 2019. Although his performance has declined, he remains a popular figure and a player the management will aim to retain.
The Phillies might find their solution in Adley Rutchman should J.T. Realmuto depart.
Several clubs are seeking to bolster their catching corps, making J.T. Realmuto's return next season uncertain. He might opt to sign with a different team, compelling the Phillies to search for a new catcher.
Should that happen, they might shift their focus to the Baltimore Orioles, who have reportedly been making Adley Rutschman available in trade talks.
To achieve that, the Philadelphia Inquirer's Lochlahn March projects the Phillies would need to trade Gage Wood, Alex McFarlane, and Aroon Escobar.
"The Orioles need pitching. The Phillies' top pitching prospect, Andrew Painter, was off the table at the trade deadline, and it's unlikely that has changed. To avoid including their top three prospects – Painter, Miller, and Justin Crawford – it would probably require a bigger package to net Rutschman."
While Rutschman's price tag would be substantial, the Orioles' recent eight-year contract extension for Samuel Basallo suggests they might be amenable to trading him.
The Orioles would receive pitching, a resource they sorely need, and the Phillies would acquire a catcher capable of starting, filling the void left by Realmuto.
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