Mets could steal Phillies star in free agency

The New York Mets could set their sights on a longtime rival in free agency this offseason.

Sep 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) behind the plate against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Arguably, the two biggest free agent sluggers heading into the 2025 MLB offseason both play in the NL East. One is New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, and the other is Philadelphia Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber.

Both of these guys are coming off career years and will be making a ton of money this winter. And the Mets figure to be a top suitor to re-sign Alonso (so long as they feel comfortable giving him the multi-year deal that he'll surely seek) and would seem to make sense for Schwarber if Alonso ends up elsewhere.

However, Kyle Schwarber isn't the only Phillies standout who is entering free agency this offseason. Veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto is currently in the final year of the five-year, $115.5 million deal he signed with Philadelphia back in 2021, which was the largest contract for a catcher in MLB history at the time.

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Sep 5, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) celebrates after scoring against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Realmuto was one of the best offensive catchers in baseball when he signed that contract, as he was coming off three straight seasons where he had an OPS of over .820. While he has only had one season with an OPS north of .800 since then (and his .699 OPS in the 2025 regular season was the lowest since his rookie season), he's still considered one of the best all-around backstops in the sport.

Insider Makes Case for Mets to Pursue J.T. Realmuto in Free Agency

New York Post MLB insider Jon Heyman suggested in a September 29 article that the Mets should consider trading 23-year-old catcher Francisco Alvarez this offseason, given that he would have a high trade value and would help New York fill other holes on their roster.

Heyman took this sentiment a step further in an October 2 article by saying that if David Stearns decides to trade Alvarez, he should take a good look at signing Realmuto in free agency.

He noted that Realmuto is a better defensive catcher than Alvarez at this point, and given that the Phillies' focus will be on bringing Schwarber and southpaw ace Ranger Suarez back in free agency, that makes it likely that they'll move on from Realmuto.

The myriad questions about — and possible solutions to — the second-biggest Mets problem https://t.co/YL7GqONq39 pic.twitter.com/mzr7yjK8k5

— New York Post (@nypost) October 3, 2025

Given the heated rivalry between the Phillies and Mets, it's always hard to imagine that a player will be willing to jump from one team to the next in free agency. But if the Mets trade Alvarez and give Realmuto a fair offer, perhaps he'll be anchoring New York's defense by Opening Day 2026.