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Philadelphia Phillies: 3 affordable free agent catchers to “replace” JT

By David Esser

Detroit Tigers catcher Austin Romine catches a foul ball vs. the Cleveland Indians during the eighth inning at Comerica Park, Saturday, August 15, 2020.Tigers
Detroit Tigers catcher Austin Romine catches a foul ball vs. the Cleveland Indians during the eighth inning at Comerica Park, Saturday, August 15, 2020.Tigers /
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Aug 3, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Mets catcher Wilson Ramos (40) celebrates with first baseman Dominic Smith (2) after a two-run home run against the Atlanta Braves in the fifth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 3, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New York Mets catcher Wilson Ramos (40) celebrates with first baseman Dominic Smith (2) after a two-run home run against the Atlanta Braves in the fifth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

Wilson Ramos

2020 Team: New York Mets

2020 Salary: $3.45 million

A name that Philadelphia Phillies are all too familiar with, it’s not impossible to envision a scenario where Wilson Ramos is back in Philly for the 2021 season.

Ramos had a pretty productive stint with the Phils in 2018, slashing .337/.396/.483 over the course of 33 games post trade deadline. He eventually departed the team in free agency, signing a two-year/$19 million contract with the Mets – a deal that New York ended up regretting.

Ramos’ defense completely fell off a cliff in 2019. He had the worst defensive runs saved rating in the league that year (-13), while simultaneously allowing the most stolen bases (94). The Mets ultimately declined his $10 million option for the 2021 season, pivoting towards the before mentioned James McCann in free agency.

Ramos is obviously a declining player at the point in time, and at 33 years old it’s hard to imagine him turning the corner again anytime soon. However, the Phillies organization has a sense of familiarity with Ramos, and he could stack up behind Knapp as a decent rotational backstop.

This would be a monumental drop-off in terms of production compared to Realmuto, but it would also come at a fraction of the cost. Ramos’ projected market value according to Spotrac is $4.47 million, but I honestly see him getting way less than that.

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