Philadelphia Phillies: 5 potential J.T. Realmuto suitors still out there
By David Esser
St. Louis Cardinals
This one feels the least unlikely (considering the Cardinals desire to shed salary this offseason), but MLB.com threw them out there as a potential suitor a few weeks ago – so it’s worth mentioning.
The Cardinals have (obviously) had future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina behind the plate for the last decade plus, however, he’s currently a free agent. It definitely feels like Yadi will ultimately be back in St. Louis, but there’s the off chance that the Cards could pivot towards a younger, better option in Realmuto.
The Cardinals aren’t known for handing out massive contracts in free agency, so it’s really hard to imagine them seriously entering this discussion. However, if J.T.’s price starts to dwindle as the offseason progresses, they’re a sleeper team that could get involved late. The Cards are one of the few teams that could sell themselves on being able to compete in the National League in 2021, so it’s not impossible to imagine them chucking all their chips in sometime in the near future.
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Ultimately speaking, the Realmuto situation feels like the Philadelphia Phillies’ to lose. Realmuto has repeatedly expressed that he loves playing in Philly, and the Mets were definitely the biggest threat. As long as Middleton doesn’t say anything stupid anytime soon, and is willing to cough up the roughly $125 million that it will likely take to retain J.T., the All-Star catcher should be back with his good pal Bryce Harper in Citizens Bank Park for the 2021 season.