The Philadelphia Phillies are faced with plenty of tough decisions on which of their free agents to bring back this offseason.
MVP candidate designated hitter Kyle Schwarber is the premier name of the bunch, and the team has its sights set on bringing back the 32-year-old slugger. The other big-name bat that enters free agency after a long tenure in Philadelphia is catcher JT Realmuto. The majority of recent reports have viewed the two sides as perfect suitors, with many reporters claiming that the most reasonable outcome is a reunion.
Assuming the Phillies bring back their veteran backstop, the catching position would essentially be stabilized for at least another year. If the two parties decide to go their separate ways, however, things get tricky. The free agency market for catching reinforcements is incredibly weak behind Realmuto, and the Philadelphia front office would likely have to get creative to replace his production moving forward.
With very few proven in-house candidates to assume the starting role for 2026, a trade would appear to be the most viable way of bringing in external help at the position. In a piece published by Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter on Monday morning, he floated an idea that would help the Phillies do just that.
Phillies Could Trade for Ryan Jeffers
Aug 19, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers (27) hits a solo home run against the Athletics in the fifth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
Reuter’s proposed way for Philadelphia to iron out their catching situation would be with a trade for Minnesota Twins’ Ryan Jeffers.
“After their trade deadline fire sale, the Twins have to be viewed as open for business, and while Joe Ryan and Byron Buxton are the trade chips most frequently mentioned in speculative deals, catcher Ryan Jeffers would also be a useful piece for a contender in need of catching help,” Reuter wrote. “The 28-year-old has a 113 OPS-plus in 1,264 plate appearances over the past three years, with a .356 on-base percentage and 10.8 percent walk rate helping to pump up his offensive value this past season.”
Jeffers, as Reuter described, wouldn’t cost the Phillies substantial prospect capital, especially considering his impending free agency following the 2026 season. His potential trade package includes LHP Mavis Graves and 3B Carson DeMartini, ranked the 25th and 13th best prospects in the Phillies system, respectively.
A move for Jeffers would be far from flashy, and all indications still point to Realmuto returning on a multi-year deal at some point in free agency. However, the trade is a realistic fallback plan if retaining Realmuto doesn’t come to fruition.
If Realmuto winds up inking a deal elsewhere, the Twins could quickly become a possible trade partner for a retooling Phillies roster.
More Phillies News