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By Drew VonScio
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Philadelphia Phillies and J.T. Realmuto both believe the other side is more desperate than the other. It's the only reason why the two parties haven't agreed to a deal yet as of Tuesday morning.
Dave Dombrowski, while he would certainly love to have Realmuto come back next season, isn't going all-in on the veteran free agent. According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies are showing interest in Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers.
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"The Phillies have explored contingencies because pitchers and catchers report to Florida in five weeks," Gelb wrote. "It would be ideal to have a starting catcher report. The Phillies have talked trades for catchers, young and old; Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers is one potential target, league sources told The Athletic. But the closer everyone gets to camps opening, the more reluctant teams are to trade away a catcher."
Given that Realmuto hasn't signed, the rest of the catching market is at a standstill. This could favor the Phillies into coercing the Twins to part with Jeffers as there are still options available to them. Victor Caratini is also a free agent and despite not being an everyday catcher, he could still provide some value to the rebuilding Twins.
Jeffers would be a great backup plan if the Phillies and Realmuto are extremely far apart in their negotiations. The 28-year-old catcher produced a 108 OPS+ for the Twins last season and commanded their pitching staff led by Pablo Lopez.
This isn't to say that the Phillies are giving up Realmuto. Gelb made it very clear that the organization still wants him back for next season and beyond. However, Dombrowski is keeping the door open to other options as well.
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