The Pittsburgh Pirates might end up being the most surprising team of the 2025 MLB offseason. Pittsburgh has been connected to several free agents, and the organization isn’t afraid to spend money. Now, the Pirates have been linked to another player, and it happens to be one of the top catchers in baseball.
According to New York Post’s Jon Heyman on his Bleacher Report livestream, the Pirates have looked at signing free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto from MLB free agency. Realmuto, who has spent the last seven years with the Philadelphia Phillies, is the top catcher on the free agent market this winter.
In 2025, Realmuto posted 12 home runs and 52 runs batted in over 134 games. The 34-year-old catcher hasn’t been putting up the numbers seen in his late 20s, but his defensive abilities are still strong. Pittsburgh has room to improve at the catcher position, making this a good fit.
It is unclear if Realmuto is interested in signing with the Pirates, but he would have the opportunity to catch for the 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner, Paul Skenes. The Pirates are looking to spend some money this winter, and Realmuto could be among the players coming to Pittsburgh for 2026.
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