Philadelphia Phillies Add Another Catcher With Signing of Payton Henry

The Philadelphia Phillies have brought in another catching option this offseason.

Mar 1, 2023; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers catcher Payton Henry (50) hits an RBI single against the Los Angeles Angels in the second inning at Tempe Diablo Stadium / Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Beyond the outfield issues the Philadelphia Phillies have heading into next year, there are also a lot of questions surrounding the catcher position in 2025.

J.T. Realmuto is going to be the starter and get the majority of work, but there are already strategies being drawn up by the front office and coaching staff about how to reduce his playing time during the regular season to help him be fresher for the playoffs.

The 33-year-old was widely considered the best catcher in the sport, earning his nickname "Best Catcher in Baseball" that is still commonly used despite his production, particularly at the plate, starting to deteriorate.

Realmuto won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in 2022, slashing .276/.342/.478 with 22 homers, 84 RBI and an OPS+ of 130, while also being worth 11 Defensive Runs Saved, catching a league-leading 30 runners stealing while also playing in 133 games behind the plate.

But, that was the last year of his true peak.

Since then, he's posted OPS+ figures of 105 and 109 in back-to-back seasons with his DRS numbers deteriorating to minus-4 and zero respectively.

Garrett Stubbs is the incumbent backup, but he's struggled on offense when given his chance, so former top prospect Rafael Marchan could get more work if he is able to stay healthy and perform at the plate when he's called upon.

Philadelphia also acquired Triple-A catcher Paul McIntosh in the deal for Jesus Luzardo which gives them more depth, but in an under-the-radar deal that was pointed out by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors, they have also signed Payton Henry to a minor league deal.

Henry was a sixth-round pick of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2016 and was working his way up their pipeline before they shipped him to the Miami Marlins in 2021.

He made his Major League debut that year, but for his career, he's only appeared in 20 games across the 2021 and 2022 seasons, putting up a slash line of .186/.314/.209 with zero homers, one extra-base hit and four RBI in his 49 plate appearances.

Henry likely won't factor in for the Phillies this year, but he is another depth piece for the organization that is trying to figure out what they are going to do with that position in 2025 and beyond.