Rays Looking To Trade For Catchers, Had Interest In J.T. Realmuto

"The Rays rarely make major forays into the free agent market, and it was widely assumed that Realmuto would eventually return to Philadelphia. Beyond these two points, however, it makes plenty of sense why the Rays would've checked in Realmuto, given both their needs behind the plate and the fact that Realmuto lingered on the open market until mid-January. Had the Phillies successfully signed Bo Bichette, for instance, Realmuto's chances of a reunion might've gotten a lot slimmer, leaving the door open for the Rays (or another catcher-needy team) to swoop in with an offer."

"Besides the Phillies, the Red Sox were the only other team known to have interest in Realmuto this winter. The Rangers were a speculative suitor, but reports indicated that the team's limited budget wouldn't allow for such a pursuit. Among other contenders or would-be contenders, the Giants, Reds, Pirates, or Marlins might've made sense, but there wasn't any indication that any of these clubs (several of whom are also operating within reduced payrolls) made any push for Realmuto."

The catching position has been a consistent weakness for Tampa Bay, prompting at least exploratory interest in J.T. Realmuto. Realmuto re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies for three years and $45 million, ending open-market availability. The Rays seldom pursue high-profile free agents and their largest free-agent contract cited was a three-year, $40MM offseason deal, leaving limited precedent for a bigger commitment. Realmuto lingered into mid-January, which created a window for catcher-needy teams. Besides Philadelphia, the Red Sox showed known interest; other teams were speculative or constrained by reduced payrolls, limiting competitive offers.

Read at MLB Trade Rumors