MLB insider speculates surprising name for SF Giants to bolster lineup

Could the SF Giants look to make an upgrade at catcher? Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic (subscription required) list the Giants as a potential landing spot for three-time NL All-Star J.T. Realmuto.

MLB insider speculates surprising name for SF Giants to bolster lineup

Rosenthal and McCaffrey name the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and Texas Rangers as the more likely suitors for Realmuto. However, they view the Giants as a darkhorse candidate.

The surprising part about this is that the Giants already have a catcher in Patrick Bailey. Bailey has quickly emerged as one of the best defensive players in baseball, earning consecutive Gold Glove Awards in 2024 and 2025. However, his bat leaves a lot to be desired.

The Giants switch-hitter slashed .222/.277/.325 (70 wRC+) with six home runs, 55 RBI, and 47 runs in 452 plate appearances. This includes a 6.6 percent walk rate, 29.4 percent strikeout rate, and .103 ISO.

Bailey got off to a brutal start at the plate, but he hit modestly better as the season progressed. He had a strong finish to the year, recording an .814 OPS with four home runs and 16 RBI across 78 plate appearances. This included a memorable walk-off grand slam against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Giants' lineup had too many soft spots, including Bailey. Adding someone like J.T. Realmuto would raise the offensive floor at that position, even though he no longer hits as well as he did earlier in his career.

That said, Realmuto posted a .700 OPS in 550 plate appearances for the Phillies last season. That level of production would have been an improvement from the .600 OPS the Giants received from that position in 2025.

While Realmuto is not quite the defensive backstop that Bailey is, he remains an above-average defender behind the plate. There would be a drop off in defensive value, but Realmuto is a more well-rounded player.

Adding a player of Realmuto's caliber would almost certainly push Bailey into a reserve role. Given that Realmuto is heading into his age-35 season in 2026, it might be a short-term solution until Bailey's bat shows improvement, but it could also be a sign that they need longer view him as a long-term solution at catcher.

As Ken Rosenthal and Jen McCaffrey note, the Giants have some potential connections to Realmuto. The most notable being that Buster Posey now runs the front office, and understands the tangible and intangible value that a veteran backstop offers. The other connection is that one of Posey's advisers, Jeff Barry, is Realmuto's former agent. Oftentimes, connections like that can lead to a conversation.