The Philadelphia Phillies hoped to have some certainty about the catching position by mid-January, but they weren’t destined to be that lucky.
Longtime Phillies star J.T. Realmuto remains unsigned, and although he’s entering his age-35 season, he’s virtually the only reliable free-agent option for teams seeking a catcher. That has led negotiations to drag out with the Phillies, who still want him back, and Philadelphia at least has to consider some backup plans.
Though it’s far from an ideal Plan B, the Phillies had to make sure they had some new catchers lined up on minor-league contracts to bring to spring training, even if such players only had the chance to win a backup job in the event of Realmuto’s eventual departure.
Earlier this week, they secured a three-year major league veteran on such a contract.
According to the official transactions log on his MLB.com roster page, catcher René Pinto signed a minor-league deal with the Phillies on Tuesday. That deal took at least a couple of extra days to be reflected on the log, which is typical of minor-league signings.
Pinto, 29, has 83 games of major league experience, all with the Tampa Bay Rays. After the Rays waived him at the end of 2024, he went on to play Triple-A ball for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Toronto Blue Jays organizations this past season.
Pinto elected free agency from the Blue Jays just after the club’s narrow World Series loss in November, and he had to be looking for a club with less catching depth than Toronto. Philadelphia’s projected opening day roster would likely feature Rafael Marchán and Drew Stubbs as its catchers, so it certainly fit the bill.
In his brief major league stints, Pinto’s offensive totals include a .231 batting average, 10 home runs, and a solid .404 slugging percentage. If he can get on base at a better clip than he has in the past, he could be a useful second catcher on a major league roster.
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