The Philadelphia Phillies came into this offseason with a few clear goals, with their main one to re-sign Kyle Schwarber being completed in early December.
But their next biggest issue is to address the catcher spot, and with J.T. Realmuto and the Phillies in a standoff, that goal doesn't look close to completion. Things are in such a bad spot that the Phillies need to prepare for alternative options.
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, a 28-year-old Minnesota Twins catcher, veteran Ryan Jeffers, is a potential trade target for the Phillies if they cannot work something out with Realmuto.
Phillies linked to Twins catcher to replace J.T. Realmuto
"The Phillies have talked trades for catches, young and old," Gelb writes, "Minnesota's Ryan Jeffers is one potential target, league sources told The Athletic."
Jeffers is one of the Phillies' possible options to replace Realmuto if the longtime Phillies catcher cannot agree to a deal to return to Philadelphia.
This would not be a bad pivot option for the Phillies if they need ot make it. He's 28, on a one-year deal, and has been a solid hitter in recent years.
Last season, Jeffers hit.266 with a.752 OPS to go with fielding that wasn't as good as Realmuto's in 2025. He's not been an incredible fielder, but he isn't the worst by any means.
More: Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto prediction shows how bad things would be if Philadelphia doesn’t re-sign him
In 2024, he hit.226 with an OPS of.732. But, in 2023, Jeffers had his best season in the Majors, hitting.276 with an.858 OPS in 96 games for the Twins.
If the Phillies bring him to Philadelphia, he could split some of the catching duties with Rafael Marchan; that way, he won't have to play over 100 games, which was how his numbers dipped in the years after that breakout season.
While re-signing Realmuto is likely the move the Phillies want to make, they've prepared for alternatives, and Jeffers is one possible replacement they've had talks about already.
The Phillies and Twins have made a few trades recently, with Harrison Bader and Jhoan Duran being acquired at the 2025 MLB trade deadline. If a Jeffers trade goes anything like those other two moves, this would be a great deal for the Phillies to make.
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