Yankees Potential Free Agent Target: J.T. Realmuto

The New York Yankees undoubtedly have positions in desperate need of an upgrade over the course of the long offseason. That being said, they also have other spots where they may not necessarily need an upgrade, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to get one. The man behind the plate calling the shots is one of those areas. There’s a premier name on the market who may not be what he used to, but certainly has the experience to help lead a Bronx Bombers team back on a championship run: J.T. Realmuto.

2025 Statistics: 134 games, 550 plate appearances, 12 HR, .257/.315/.384, 94 wRC+, -2 DRS, 2.1 fWAR

2026 FanGraphs Depth Charts Projections: 126 games, 499 PA, .247/.304/.397, 14 HR, 94 wRC+, 1.8 fWAR

Previous Contract: Five-year, $115 million contract signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in January of 2021

At 34 years of age, Realmuto is past his prime as a catcher. The days of being a 4.0 – 6.0+ fWAR backstop are long in the rearview mirror. The three-time All-Star, Silver Slugger, and two-time Gold Glove Award winner isn’t the same catcher he used to be. However, that doesn’t mean he can’t be of similar value, or even more valuable, than some of the Yankees’ current catching personnel. With some new northeast scenery and different colored pinstripes on his home jersey, Realmuto could still provide the Yankees with as much as he has left in the tank on a shorter-term, more cost-effective deal.

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The Yankees had the third-best catching fWAR in all of MLB last season, with Austin Wells supporting the brunt of it, finishing the season with 3.7. The other two catchers, J.C. Escarra (102 plate appearances at the position) and Ben Rice (64 plate appearances) finished with 0.6 and 0.5 fWAR, respectively. The only two clubs with catching better than what the Yankees had (in total) last season were the Seattle Mariners (Cal Raleigh and Harry Ford) and the Toronto Blue Jays (Alejandro Kirk, Tyler Heineman, and Ali Sánchez). Four catchers posted more fWAR than Wells, including Raleigh and Kirk, along with William Contreras of the Milwaukee Brewers and Patrick Bailey of the San Francisco Giants. Wells had some other catchers just behind him, but was able to beat them out in that specific statistic.

So, for the Yankees, they may not need a full-on starting catcher. But an upgrade to the backup position wouldn’t hurt a thing, even upgrading that role to a light platoon.

While Realmuto is clearly still durable enough to take the brunt of a season, having played over 140 games last year, if he wants to continue playing without as much wear and tear, he will likely have to reduce those numbers over the coming seasons. There are areas in which Wells can—and needs to—learn if he wants to reach his full potential, and bringing in someone like Realmuto, who was in a top-10 MVP finisher as far back as 2022, could be a great way to add some veteran depth to a lineup that could also use a solid bat. The Yanks have three lefty-hitting catchers on their roster, and although none are outright give-ups against southpaws, the righty Realmuto has crushed them in his career (the 166 PA of struggles last year have a good chance to be an outlier).

There’s also the possibility that Realmuto could make a move to first base, which would lessen the need for Wells to split time behind the plate. He does have some brief experience there. If that move were to occur, it could impede some playing time for Ben Rice. Still, with Paul Goldschmidt a free agent this offseason as well, having someone who could be a backup first baseman or could step in at either position should injury problems flare up is never a bad idea.

Nonetheless, Realmuto may not be what he used to be. If the Yankees were to bring him into the fold, expecting him to be an MVP candidate would be extreme. The Bronx might not even be somewhere that Realmuto wants to go, as he could reasonably prefer a better avenue to consistent playing time elsewhere. If he doesn’t object to a creative role though, the caveats around him don’t it’s impossible for him to offer multiple sources of value as a middle-to-bottom-of-the-lineup bat, veteran with plenty of experience in the postseason and postseason runs, and, most importantly, the versatility to play two positions on the diamond.