Philadelphia Phillies Reveal Ideal Plan For Their Star Catcher Next Season

With there being questions about how the Philadelphia Phillies will use their star catcher next season, they have revealed their ideal strategy.

Sep 19, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) at Citi Field / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Questions regarding the Philadelphia Phillies heading into next year don't just stem from how this roster will be constructed, they also center around how the aging players will be utilized throughout the regular season.

The Phillies emphasized getting off to a hot start during the beginning of this past campaign, and while they accomplished that to the tune of holding the best record in Major League Baseball entering the All-Star break, they also fell flat in the second half of the year and couldn't regain that form.

Injuries played a factor in addition to overall fatigue, and with a roster that isn't getting any younger, there is some thought to using younger members of this organization more often so the veterans will be better preserved for the playoffs.

The player at the forefront of that conversation is star catcher J.T. Realmuto.

Once unanimously considered the best catcher in baseball, his production at the plate has fallen off a cliff compared to what he once was earlier in his career.

So how can Philadelphia combat that?

According to manager Rob Thomson, they'd ideally like to give him more days off throughout the season.

"If you give J.T. some more time off, I think his numbers will get better," he said per Matt Gelb of The Athletic.

How they plan on doing that is something they are discussing, since admittedly, they know it will be hard to convince the ironman to stay out of the lineup because he prides himself on being available whenever he is healthy.

However, it's also becoming clear the 33-year-old needs less time behind the plate.

Gelb points out that only Yadier Molina started 120-plus games at catcher in the past decade at age 34, and with Realmuto entering the final season of his $115.5 million deal, they need him to be a major factor offensively.

Philadelphia is searching for ways to not have a drop off when their star, who still had a bWAR of 2.8 and defensive bWAR of 1.1 last year, is out of the lineup.

They are weighing the internal options of Garrett Stubbs and former top prospect Rafael Marchan, while also considering bringing in someone during free agency or via trade.

Realmuto's usage will be a talking point throughout the season, but it seems like everyone within the Phillies organization knows they need to give him more time off if they are going to get the best version of him when it matters most.