Philadelphia Phillies: Could Yadier Molina end up replacing JT Realmuto?
By David Esser
Could the Philadelphia Phillies turn to a future Hall of Famer as their next catcher?
As the days go by, the likelihood of JT Realmuto returning to the Philadelphia Phillies continues to grow glaringly slim. The New York Mets are now run by the richest owner in MLB history, the Yankees always have the capability to swoop in and overpay for a free agent, and both the Braves and Nationals have been linked to Realmuto recently.
If the Phillies do end up losing their 2x All-Star catcher, they could very well turn to a short-term solution at the position. If they were to end up attacking that avenue, Yadier Molina is arguably the best available option.
Despite being set to turn 39 years old in July, Molina is still one of the more complete catchers in the game. He’s coming off a decent enough 2020 campaign where he hit .262, and his defense/pitch calling remains above average. He’s obviously lost a step compared to his All Star years, but he still possesses a fair amount of value compared to the rest of the league’s catching options.
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Somewhat surprisingly, Molina’s name has generated quite a bit of buzz on the open market thus far. Both the Yankees and Mets are reportedly interested in him, and the St. Louis Cardinals are expected to prioritize re-signing him as well. That’s a fairly good sign for a player who is creeping towards 40.
When it comes to the Philadelphia Phillies and what they’re trying to build, adding Molina has a few noticeable benefits. Number one being that he would come with a far smaller financial commitment compared to Realmuto. Phillies owner John Middleton has repeatedly expressed a desire to shed salary this offseason, so landing a veteran catcher on the cheaper side is likely something that would excite him.
Outside of the cost, Molina would provide a commanding veteran presence for a young pitching staff. Guys like Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, and Zach Eflin are just now hitting their primes, and the addition of one of the best game callers in baseball history would likely benefit them a ton.
Younger arms like Spencer Howard, Connor Brogdon, and JoJo Romero would likely experience a similar result from working with the veteran backstop as well.
Ultimately speaking, going from Realmuto to Molina is a major downgrade. Despite his Hall of Fame resume, Molina is on his last legs, and is set to retire sometime in the near future, while Realmuto is actively the best all-around catcher in baseball. With that said, if the Phils are looking to “replace” JT with a short-term veteran this offseason, it’s hard to do much better than Molina. He’s far superior to guys like Mike Zunino and Kurt Suzuki, and he’ll likely come at a lower price compared to someone like James McCann.
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The Phillies’ name hasn’t really been floated around the Molina sweepstakes, so it’s hard to imagine there being a ton of internal interest. With that said, if Realmuto ends up signing elsewhere this offseason, pivoting attention to Molina would make a ton of sense.
After all, he’d be a better option than Andrew Knapp.