ESPN's David Schoenfield said it best on Friday morning:
"The Rays have struggled with offensive production at catcher for several years now."
Tampa Bay's catchers, in terms of hitting, ranked at the bottom of Major League Baseball in 2025. They used five different backstops for more than 25 games last year, combining to hit.185/.288/.304.
The catcher with the most games played (73) for the Rays was Danny Jansen, now a member of the Texas Rangers. To remain competitive in a tough division like the AL East, they'll need an upgrade over Hunter Feduccia and Nick Fortes.
There are limited options available at the catcher's position in free agency, but one name makes sense if he cannot agree to a reunion with his former club.
The Rays could pursue J.T. Realmuto
A reunion between catcher J.T. Realmuto and the Philadelphia Phillies is still possible. But as the days pass, it gives the three-time All-Star and the Phillies more time to think about the future.
Philadelphia may not be willing to come close to the $23.8 million Realmuto made last season, potentially bringing negotiations to a halt. Operating as a small market team, the Rays are almost certain not to come close to the number of Realmuto's previous contract.
But he handles pitching staffs as well as any catcher in the league as he enters his age-35 season. Realmuto is no longer one of the best-hitting catchers in the Majors, but posted a moderate.257/.315/.384 slash line and 91 OPS+ in 134 games in 2025.
More MLB news:
- Royals predicted as dark-horse landing spot for.814 OPS free agent from Yankees
- Giants linked to 296-HR free agent slugger as potential signing
- Diamondbacks get good news on signing Paul Goldschmidt in free agency
- Phillies have 3 teams competing for J.T. Realmuto's signature in free agency
- Tigers urged to sign 1 or 2 future Hall of Famers for Detroit reunion
- Rangers' rotation pitched as needing this free agent signing