MLB Rumors: J.T. Realmuto has New Suitor in AL East Team

November 26, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto reacts after at-bat during 2025 game.

The Boston Red Sox are kicking the tires on free agent J.T. Realmuto.

Even in his age-34 season, he caught a heavy workload, controlled the running game, and posted a respectable .257/.315/.384 line with double-digit homers. 

For a position where “passable offense and steady defense” is often the bar, Realmuto still clears it. The complication is not whether he can still play, but whether he is the right upgrade for Boston givennwhat Carlos Narváez showed in 2025.

Should The Red Sox Upgrade On Narváez With Realmuto?

Narváez gave Boston exactly what rebuilding clubs hope to stumble into: a cheap, controllable catcher who looks like he belongs. Over a full season he posted close-to-league-average offense, handled the staff well, and graded out strongly by most defensive metrics, even if he faded in the second half as the workload piled up. 

Connor Wong struggled, which does open the door for a veteran addition, but Narváez’s emergence means the Red Sox do not need a star catcher the way they need another middle-of-the-order bat.

If Boston hands Realmuto two years at something like the projected $15M per season, they are paying for marginal on-field gain at a spot where they already have competence, and they risk blocking or stunting Narváez’s development by shoving him into a pure backup role.

Why Realmuto Still Might Be Worth It Anyway

There are only a few scenarios where this move really makes sense for Boston. 

One: ownership is comfortable raising payroll back toward recent levels, and Realmuto is treated as a luxury add, not a centerpiece. In that world, you let him anchor the staff, soak up 90–100 games behind the plate, and use Narváez as a high-end 1B catcher who gets real reps. 

Two: the front office is skeptical that Narváez’s 2025 is sustainable and views Realmuto as short-term stability while they keep searching for a long-term answer. Realmuto’s presence as a respected vet in a young clubhouse is not nothing either; for a staff that could include more kids and recent call-ups, having a catcher who has lived every big-game scenario has value beyond WAR.

In the end, yes, Realmuto can be a good addition for the Red Sox, but only if they treat him as one piece of a broader win-now push, not as the move that eats up their remaining flexibility. 

They just added more pitching in Sonny Gray, so if they land another big bat, Realmuto as a stabilizing, two-year bridge at catcher is defensible. 

If they pass on upgrades elsewhere just to outbid the Philadelphia Phillies for a 35-year-old backstop while Narváez is sitting there ready for another look, they could look back on that as misallocated resources.

It's a very intriguing situation, and it will be interesting to see whether the Red Sox really do sign the 12-year veteran.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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