Report: Phillies enter mix for Realmuto

The field of suitors for Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto has expanded.

The Philadelphia Phillies recently checked in with the Marlins about the All-Star catcher, as his continued availability sparked renewed communication between the two clubs, sources told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

A possible deal between the two clubs seems to be gaining some traction, according to Tim Brown of Yahoo.

It appears Philadelphia, which hasn't been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Realmuto since the beginning of December, has stiff competition for the backstop's services.

Following a career year at the plate (21 HR, 131 OPS+), Realmuto has drawn interest from the Cincinnati Reds, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Houston Astros over the past two months.

Miami was reportedly deep in discussions with Cincinnati last weekend and engaged in "intensive" trade talks with the Dodgers at the end of January.

Meanwhile, the Padres continue to talk with the Marlins this week about a potential deal, sources told Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

Realmuto, who is under team control for two more seasons and was worth more WAR than any other catcher in baseball last season, according to Fangraphs, would be an upgrade at catcher for the Phillies over Jorge Alfaro, who hit .262/.324/.407 with 10 homers in 108 games.

The Phillies have been relatively busy this offseason, acquiring Andrew McCutchen and David Robertson in free agency and Jean Segura in a trade.