The Blue Jays’ catching depth isn’t quite as deep as it used to be after trading away Danny Jansen and Gabriel Moreno over the course of past few seasons. That bet ended up paying off for Toronto as the team saw its heights with a catching tandem of Alejandro Kirk and Tyler Heineman in 2025.

Both catchers played well, but a large part of the Blue Jays’ success on the catching side came from Kirk excellently executing every aspect of his position, from framing to offence. The fact that the Blue Jays always put Kirk in the lineup for almost the entirety of the 2025 postseason run was a testament to their faith in the main catcher.

Interestingly, longtime former Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto is testing his free agency this winter, a familiar name for Jays fans on the offseason forefront.

Back in the 2020/2021 offseason, the Blue Jays were interested in the catcher, even with Jansen and Kirk being the go-to guys behind the plate. This was the same offseason where the Jays added George Springer and Marcus Semien, spending big on the free agent front a year after they added Hyun Jin Ryu, and catching was one area the front office was looking to improve as well, even with the established duo on the big league roster.

The Jays had depth behind the plate at the time (Moreno was coming up the pipeline), and adding Realmuto at the time would mean the club could move some of these players to address other areas on the roster, similar to how the Jays ended up trading Moreno to the desert and Jansen to Boston. That offseason signing didn’t pan out, as Realmuto signed a five-year deal with the Phillies and is now a free agent once again, albeit in a different space compared to his last go-around in free agency.

Compared to his peak, Realmuto has not had the most offensively impressive season in 2025. The Oklahoma-born catcher slashed .257/.315/.384 with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs in 550 plate appearances. According to Fangraphs’ 2025 catcher rankings, Realmuto ranks 13th, but this is mainly because of his outstanding defensive performance (7.4), rather than his performance at the plate (-0.1).

Bat-wise, Baseball Savant compares him to Lorenzo Cain (2016), Brandon Crawford (2017), Adam Engel (2021), Carlos Correa (2022) and Adam Jones (2017), with his top% exceeding his under % in his quality of contact (33.3 vs 23).

As a defensive specialist, where the former Phillies’ catcher shone was behind the dish, as he ranked 95th percentile in CS above average and 99th percentile in pop time. In other words, baserunners had no chance against Realmuto once they caught his eyes.

Even though his offensive stats weren’t nearly as gaudy as some catchers in the 2025 season, Realmuto has been more consistent in his production. His defence is unquestionable at this point in his career, but even with his bat, the 34-year-old provided enough for the Phillies to trust him as one of the regulars. Despite his pedestrian offensive numbers during the regular season, Realmtuo had a great postseason appearance, even if it was just in four games. He slashed .353/.353/.765 with one home run and three RBIs, showcasing that he can offer clutch performances in crucial games.

Realmuto would work as a catching asset for many contenders, especially given his elite defensive skills with excellent pop time. However, for the Blue Jays, he would create an inevitable roster reconstruction because his potential addition would force Heineman from its core and create a tandem with Kirk that isn’t as needed compared to other areas on the roster.

If Toronto values even more veteran presence behind the plate and experience on the team for the 2026 season, signing Realmuto on a short-term deal wouldn’t hurt the catching depth but overall, isn’t needed. Kirk is the go-to man behind the plate for Toronto and doesn’t really need a tandem partner at this time, especially since Realmuto still has some gas in the tank to be a primary catcher.

The Blue Jays are in a good place with their catching, even if the depth in the farm system is a little shallow. From that standpoint, adding Realmuto doesn’t make sense this time around and the Jays are better off spending elsewhere this winter.