Phillies trade link to Orioles’ .764 OPS catcher has obvious J.T. Realmuto problem originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Philadelphia Phillies are going to be trade deadline buyers this summer, as they desperately need to find a way to upgrade their bullpen, outfield, and even the back of their already elite starting rotation.
However, that’s not all the Phillies could potentially look to upgrade. Third base, with how Alec Bohm has struggled this season, would make sense. But the Phillies were recently linked to another position that really doesn’t make sense.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel linked the Phillies as one of the “best fits” for Baltimore Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman. However, this trade link has a clear problem, all thanks to J.T. Realmuto’s $45 million deal.
Phillies have obvious issue with Adley Rutschman trade link from ESPN
“15. Adley Rutschman, C, Baltimore Orioles. Chance of being traded: 30%,” Passan and McDaniel write. “Best fits: Rangers, Phillies, Reds, Pirates, Twins, Padres, Yankees, Red Sox.”
If this were over the MLB offseason, the Phillies might have a legitimate interest in Rutschman as a new franchise catcher.
However, they signed Realmuto to a three-year, $45 million contract. Even though Rutschman would make sense in a vacuum for the Phillies, as his .764 OPS is a step above Realmuto’s .641 OPS, the logistics of a trade don’t make sense.
Obviously, the Phillies don’t have a role for Rutschman to fill on the roster. He can’t slot in at designated hitter with Kyle Schwarber there, and there’s no real other spot he or Realmuto could play.
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Baltimore would have to take on Realmuto to make this deal make any sort of sense, but with Realmuto’s chemistry with the pitching staff, keeping Realmuto is likely preferred for the Phillies.
Beyond the issue of Rutschman’s fit on the roster, the cost of a deal is likely to be very expensive. If the Phillies are going to swing a blockbuster trade, it would be better to land a player at a more pressing need, like a reliever or in the outfield.
Lastly, the Phillies have already invested a lot into the catcher position with their $45 million deal for Realmuto. Even though adding Rutschman, whose under control through 2027, would be fun, he’s not a very sensible trade option for the Phillies.
Despite this, the ESPN duo linking the Phillies as a “best fit” for Rutschman, the Orioles catcher isn’t actually a good trade target for Philadelphia.
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