Phillies’ catcher of the future receives high praise from new GM

The Philadelphia Phillies are considering their backup catcher situation for the next season as the offseason heats up. They must worry about their backups on the roster even though they want to cut down on starting catcher J.T. Realmuto’s playing time.

Can we rely on Garrett Stubbs to do well in a more significant role? Is it safe to assume Rafael Marchan will remain healthy? Rob Thomson, the manager, and the front office are faced with that conundrum. Travis d’Arnaud, a former Atlanta Braves veteran, is one of the free agent choices available, but it’s difficult to predict the Phillies’ 2025 course.

In the farm system, the Phillies do have a promising catching prospect. Even though Eduardo Tait won’t be able to assist next season, Preston Mattingly, the new general manager and former assistant general manager of player development for the Phillies, recently joined The Phillies Talk podcast to provide us a behind-the-scenes look at the backstop position.

Fans should be optimistic for the future after Mattingly’s positive assessment of the 18-year-old Tait, one of the many subjects he covered during his presentation. Tait, ranked fifth by MLB Pipeline as a Phillies prospect, played in both Rookie Ball and Single-A in 2024.