Heading into mid-January, the Phillies have been relatively quiet with their offseason moves. Their major acquisition has been the signing of former Ranger and the 2023 ALCS MVP Adolis Garcia, but he only signed a one-year, $10 million deal.

Yet, the lingering question is the stare-down contract dispute with 35-year-old catcher J.T. Realmuto, whose stature with the club can be a major factor.

In this column, I’ll look at some possible catching options, as well as other club concerns, and state of the game. Also, I’ll review the career of a former Jim Thorpe star.

Keeping It Real ... The Phillies should make Realmuto a realistic offer of $34 million for two years. The 35-year-old’s production has slipped, and it would be unwise to go beyond two years.

The sticking point is finding another catcher. A prime replacement would be Orioles’ 27-year-old backstop Ardley Rutschmann, who had three productive seasons before being limited to 90 games with injuries last season.

However, the Orioles apparently are working to make a championship run this season with their acquisitions, and a deal for Rutschmann may be difficult.

Ex-Astro 32-year-old Victor Caratini is the best free-agent option aside from Mitch Garver (34), Christian Vasquez (35) and Austin Barnes (36), who would be one-year stopgaps.

Should I Stay or Should I Go ... A recent Times News Lehighton Facebook poll questioned whether or not the Phillies should resign Realmuto.

Unsurprisingly, 90 percent of the responses want Realmuto back.

Readers Write

Stay a Short Course

Dear Jeff,

The Phillies should re-sign Realmuto, but they shouldn’t sign him for more than two years. He is their best option right now, and he is still great defensively.

Melissa Hager

Lehighton

Another Catcher on the Fly ... In 1996, the Phillies needed to fill a catching void and signed Benito Santiago to a one-year deal in late January. Santiago was signed after Darren Daulton was sidelined with knee issues, and played in only five games in the outfield during the 1996 season.

Santiago hit a career-high 30 homers and also drove in 85 runs with a .264 average in 118 games. He added 21 doubles, and had a .987 fielding percentage behind the plate with 10 errors.

Santiago also became the first player to hit a grand slam off Greg Maddux in the regular season, and he also hit a home run in four consecutive at-bats in the same season.

Unfortunately, Santiago’s stay was short-lived, as he signed with the Blue Jays.

Does Bo Know Philly? ... Over the past week, Philly has been mentioned as a possible landing spot for free agent shortstop Bo Bichette. He presumably would play second base, with Trea Turner staying at short.

The Phillies could offer Bichette a five, six, or seven-year deal north of $150 million, which should be acceptable. They could move Bryson Stott ($5.5 million) and/or Alec Bohm ($10.3 million).

Owner John Middleton may be willing to make the plunge, knowing his proclivity to add big name players like Turner and Bryce Harper, who obviously have big-ticket deals.

Free-agent Alex Bregman is also in the mix, but recent indications have him headed back to Boston.

Either could be a big bat behind Harper.

Casting Call ... With Garica poised to take over in right field in 2026, the Phils still have the issue of what to do with disgruntled outfielder Nick Castellanos. Unless the Phillies decide to use him as a permanent DH, Castellanos is the odd man out.

His $20 million tag continues to be the sticking point. Reportedly, the Red Sox, Reds and Padres have expressed interest to possibly work out a deal, and Castellanos spent the 2020-21 seasons in Cincinnati.

However, his contract will discourage to swing a deal for Castellanos unless the Phillies pick up the majority of his price. What’s likely to happen is that the Phillies will release him in spring training, getting stuck to pay for his deal.

Castellanos will then be signed as a power bat by a club, which can ink him to the minimum of $780,000.

Place Your Bet ... In recently released odds on a team winning the World Series in 2026, the Dodgers are the early favorites to capture their third straight crown at 3-1.

The Yankees are at 7-1, followed by the Phillies at 11-1, Seattle at 13-1, and the Mets at 15-1 in the top five.

Rounding out the top 10 teams are the Blue Jays (16-1), Braves (16-1), Red Sox (17-1), Brewers (20-1), and Padres (20-1).

Don’t Lock the Door ... On Dec. 1, 2026, major league’s baseball agreement will expire, and another work stoppage is likely to occur for the first time since 2021.

The 2021 strike delayed spring training, and it was the first stoppage since the 1994-95 season that eventually canceled the World Series.

Like it has been for years, the main issue will be centered around a salary cap, which will be thoroughly opposed by the players’ union.

With a strike likely on the horizon, clubs will look to lock up players on current two-to-three year deals or beyond. It could easily be a busy time period after next year’s World Series.

Same Ranger Station ... There has been growing speculation that Ranger Suarez may be back in Phillies’ pinstripes this spring.

Suarez has been heavily linked to the Mets as well as the Astros, Orioles and Tigers. The Cubs may still be in the mix, but their recent trade for Edward Cabrera should send him elsewhere.

Without a timetable for Zack Wheeler’s return, Suarez can be a great insurance policy, and he is left-handed. If he is still unsigned in spring training, Suarez could be back in the mix especially if the Phils believe Andrew Painter is not ready for prime time.

The Phils recently signed journeyman 29-year-old left-hander Tucker Davidson, a former highly touted Braves’ pick. Last season, Davidson had a 10-5 record with a 3.65 ERA for Lotte in the Korean League.

Donnie Baseball ... In case you missed it, there is another Mattingly on the Phillies’ scene.

Yankee legend and recent Blue Jays’ bench coach Don Mattingly has joined the Phillies in the same role. His son, Preston, is the team’s general manager, whose role is often overshadowed by president Dave Dombrowski.

With his managing and coaching background, Mattingly’s experience will be invaluable. At 64, Mattingly doesn’t have any aspirations for managing anymore.

Yet, he provides an instant solution if Rob Thomson is in trouble, and he also has to avoid a possible conflict of interest with his son as the GM.

Hole in the Big Apple ... Like the Phillies, the Mets and Yankees have had a quiet offseason despite high expectations.

The Mets broke up some of their longtime core with the departures of Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso, while adding Seattle utilityman Jorge Polanco and relief pitcher Devin Williams, while the Yankees only have added some auxiliary pieces.

Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker both remain at the top of their wish lists.

Look for the Yankees to make a splash before spring training. They may overpay and grant extra years for Bellinger, and also add a starting pitcher because Garrit Cole, Clark Schmidt and Carlos Rodon are all on the shelf to start the season.

Scrapbook ... In each column, I flip back the pages to look at a former hardball standout from the area.

Scott Kmetz, a 1984 Jim Thorpe graduate, had a stellar career in baseball and basketball for the Olympians.

As a sophomore, he pitched a no-hitter against Freeland MMI. Kmetz also holds the records for most wins for a career (16), most wins in one season (10), and also holds records for innings pitched, strikeouts, ERA, home runs (11), runs scored (54), and RBIs (47).

In the batter’s box, Kmetz hit .408 as a senior and .353 for his career. He was the team MVP his junior and senior years, and was also named to the “Best in PA Baseball All-State Team.”

In addition, Kmetz was the co-MVP for the Lehighton American Legion Baseball team in 1983, and the solo MVP the following year.

Kmetz also had tryouts with the Pirates in 1982 and 1983, and was in the Yankee Scouting System in 1984. He played one season at Delaware Valley College in 1985.

In 1998, Kmetz was inducted into the Jim Thorpe Area Sports Hall of Fame.

Time Passages ... In each column, I will look back at a former player, manager or game from our favorite pastime.

Along with signing Santiago before the 1996 season, the Phillies also signed pitcher Terry Mulholland as a free agent. Mulholland posted an 8-7 record with a 4.66 ERA in 21 starts before he was traded to Seattle for shortstop Desi Relaford in July. With the Mariners, Mulholland went 5-4 with a 4.67 ERA in 12 starts.

Before the season, the Phils also signed Steve Frey, Todd Zeile, Curt Schilling, Sid Fernandez, Jim Eisenreich and Pete Incaviglia as free agents.

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