The Philadelphia Phillies won 96 games in 2025, one short of the MLB-best Milwaukee Brewers, took the National League East pennant and got to the playoffs for the fourth straight year. But this offseason has been a difficult one, mainly because they have failed to re-sign their three-time All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto.
With the Phillies just this week reported to be pursuing Toronto Blue Jays free agent shortstop Bo Bichette, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that Realmuto will return to Philadelphia. The Phillies are already projected to enter the 2026 campaign with the third-highest payroll in MLB at $297 million, and currently carry six contracts with average annual values of more than $20 million.
“The Phillies cannot sign both Bichette and Realmuto. They also cannot sign Bichette without trading an infielder to clear further payroll,” wrote Todd Zolecki of MLB.com on Thursday. “The Philliesâ 2026 payroll is projected to exceed the fourth luxury-tax threshold at $304 million. Every dollar spent beyond $304 million is taxed at 110 percent. The Phillies are willing to go past that threshold for a second consecutive year, but there are limits.”
Perhaps with all of those factors in mind, the Phillies reached into the Blue Jays system, taking a three-year veteran catcher who could offer new depth at the catcher position if Realmuto is not brought back into the fold.
Under-the-Radar Move Lands Former Top Prospect
According to his MLB.com transactions ledger, former Blue Jays minor league catcher René Pinto signed a free agent contract with the Phillies on Tuesday.
After signing with the Blue Jays as a free agent in September after his release from the Reno Aces â the Arizona Diamondbacks Triple-A affiliate â Pinto played eight games for the Buffalo Bisons, at the same minor league level for the Blue Jays.
Between the two Triple-A teams, plus two games with the Arizona Complex League team, Pinto put together a respectable season, with an OPS of .807 and 12 home runs in 239 at-bats.
Signed as IFA by Tampa Bay
The 29-year-old Pinto was signed at the age of 16 out of Maracay, Venezuela, by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013 for a relatively modest $100,000 bonus.
Staying in the Rays system for a decade, by 2023 Pinto was rated as the Tampa Bay No. 14 prospect by Baseball America in 2023.
“Pinto fits the profile of an MLB backup catcher thanks to arm, power and defense,” the publication wrote in its 2022 scouting report on Pinto. “And he doesn’t fit the profile of a starting catcher because of his struggles to consistently make contact.”
Nonetheless, the Rays called Pinto up to the major league roster in April 2022. The catching prospect also made appearances for Tampa Bay in the next two seasons, getting into 82 big league games and compiling a .667 OPS with 10 home runs.
But it wasn’t enough for the Rays, who placed him on waivers in November after the 2024 season. That’s where the Baltimore Orioles claimed him.
The Orioles waived him before he played a game, in January of 2025. This time, it was the Diamondbacks who claimed him.
Whether Pinto received an invitation to major league spring training remains unclear, but according to Steve Potter of the Phillies Baseball Fan site, Pinto will start the season at the Phillies Triple-A level, with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.
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