Red Sox rumors: Boston ‘showing interest’ in three-time All-Star catcher (report)

The Red Sox are “showing interest” in free agent catcher J.T. Realmuto, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey reported.

The Athletic wrote, “The usual caveats apply. It is early in free agency. Teams are touching base with a large number of players. The best guess with Realmuto is that he will still re-sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, his team since 2019.”

Realmuto is a three-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger and two-time Gold Glove winner. He will turn 35 during in March and batted .257 with a .315 on-base percentage, .384 slugging percentage, .700 OPS, 12 home runs, 26 doubles, one triple and 52 RBIs in 134 games (550 plate appearances) in 2025.

He was a below-average framer and blocker last season, but he finished in the 95th percentile in caught stealing above average (six).

He’s a right-handed hitter, something the Red Sox need. He also has some experience at first base with 263 innings there. He hasn’t played there since 2022.

Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said at the GM Meetings that the Red Sox are in the market for one big power hitter, possibly two.

Carlos Narváez emerged as Boston’s No. 1 catcher with a strong rookie season in 2025. He finished tied for fifth among Red Sox players in fWAR (2.7). He was one of MLB’s top defensive catchers, finishing in the 98th percentile in caught stealing above average (9), 95th percentile in fielding run value (12), 88th percentile in blocks above average (6), 85th percentile in framing (5) and 80th percentile in pop time (1.92).

Narváez’s offensive numbers tailed off during the final two months when he dealt with an injured meniscus that required surgery following the season.

Breslow has said the Red Sox are “confident” with Connor Wong returning as the backup catcher despite a disappointing season in 2025.

Wong recently inked a one-year, $1.375 million salary for 2026, avoiding arbitration. His deal includes an additional $75,000 in performance bonuses based on plate appearances.

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