The Phillies came out of their playoff run with the same uncomfortable truth they carried into it: the backup catching spot behind J.T. Realmuto just wasn’t good enough.
Don Mattingly and his staff barely had reason to trust anyone else in the Wild Card Round, where Philadelphia carried both Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs on the roster before getting knocked out in three games. Realmuto was the only catcher who got meaningful postseason work against the Braves, and that alone says plenty about how thin the options were.
That leaves the front office with a clear offseason chore, even if it ranks behind bigger items like the bullpen and the team’s defensive issues. The No. 2 catcher role needs an upgrade, and one possible answer could be a familiar name: Logan O’Hoppe.
O’Hoppe never actually appeared in a Phillies uniform, but he was one of the organization’s top prospects before being sent to the Los Angeles Angels for Brandon Marsh at the 2022 trade deadline. His time in Anaheim never turned into the kind of breakthrough the Angels wanted, and he was later moved in a strange intra-division trade with the Rangers this past summer.
The latest signs point to him being available. Even after posting a 104 wRC+ following the trade, he didn’t get much run, and he is widely viewed as a non-tender candidate this offseason. Since the start of 2025, he has been worth -1.6 fWAR, a stretch that would likely leave him near the bottom of the market if he reaches free agency.
But the appeal for the Phillies is obvious: there’s still real upside here.
Just two years ago, O’Hoppe looked like a catcher on the rise. In 2024, he launched 20 homers, put up a 104 wRC+, and paired the bat with strong work behind the plate. He graded above average in framing, blocking, and catching attempted stealers, and his 2.3 fWAR as a 24-year-old stood out at a position where veterans usually dominate the conversation.
The trend since then has been worse, both offensively and defensively. Still, O’Hoppe won’t even turn 27 until February, which gives him a different kind of appeal than Marchan or Stubbs. He offers more upside than either of them, and there’s also the possibility of learning under Realmuto, who is himself a bounce-back candidate.
O’Hoppe wouldn’t solve everything on his own, and he wouldn’t instantly transform the catching depth chart. But if the Phillies are going to spend the winter focused elsewhere, bringing him back into the organization would at least give them a more interesting answer at the position in 2027.
In Other News...
Phillies Still Have One Outfield Fix Worth Paying Up For
The Phillies have spent enough time trying to patch together their outfield to know this winter needs to be about more than another depth move. If they are going to upgrade the group in a meaningful way, the appeal is obvious: add a player who can help in the lineup and still hold his own in the field, instead of forcing the roster to choose between offense and defense.
Free agency offers familiar names such as Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki, but the trade market may be the cleaner lane for Philadelphia if it wants a real difference-maker. Texas outfielder Wyatt Langford fits that conversation because of his offensive upside and defensive reputation, though any pursuit would have to account for the durability questions that have followed him so far. [Read more 🡒]
Alec Bohm Buzz Could Force A Phillies Infield Decision
Alec Bohms name is already surfacing in the early offseason chatter, and it is the kind of buzz that can ripple beyond St. Louis into Philadelphias plans. The former All-Star third baseman is a pending free agent, and the Cardinals have been mentioned as a club open to a short-term answer at the hot corner, which has only added to the speculation around where he could land.
For the Phillies, the interest matters because Bohm has been part of their infield picture and his next move could reshape how they think about the position moving forward. Nothing is official yet, and the talk remains just that for now, but the fact that Bohm is drawing attention this quickly suggests the market could develop in a way that forces the Phillies to account for an infield decision sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Outfield Search May Come Down To One Winter Trade Dilemma
The Phillies are heading into the winter with one of the more obvious needs in the National League, and the outfield remains the place where upgrades could make the biggest difference. With payroll still a factor, the front office is expected to look hard at lower-cost ways to add balance, which is why Alex Call has surfaced as a name to watch. The Dodgers outfielder fits the kind of profile that can appeal to a club trying to patch together production without taking on a major salary commitment.
Calls appeal is pretty straightforward for Philadelphia: he can help against left-handed pitching and could slot into a platoon role without forcing the Phillies to make a splashier move. The challenge, of course, is whether a modest addition is enough for a team that knows its margin for error is thin. If the Phillies do move on this front, the decision may come down to whether they prefer a cost-controlled fit or keep searching for a more complete answer in the outfield. [Read more 🡒]