Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters on Thursday that the team plans to reduce the amount of games that J.T. Realmuto catches in 2027.
The 35-year-old backstop had a down season at the dish in 2026 and it’s possible that the wear and tear behind the plate played a role in his struggles. Dombrowski mentioned that Realmuto could slot in more at first base to remain in the lineup even when he’s not catching, but if he’s slashing anything near the putrid .205/.283/.331 that he did across 467 plate appearances in 2026, that sounds like a losing proposition. Fantasy managers should anticipate a drop in his overall playing time heading into 2027.