Would SF Giants trade Gold Glove winner to catcher-needy Phillies?

On paper, the SF Giants are set at catcher going into next season with Patrick Bailey. The two-time Gold Glove winner is the best defensive catcher in baseball, but maybe the Giants would be willing to deal him to a catcher-needy team like the Philadelphia Phillies.

Really, the only scenario in which this would make sense is if the Giants either swung a huge trade for a catcher or if they signed J.T. Realmuto in free agency. Realmuto has been with the Phillies for a number of years and Philadelphia is trying to bring him back, but maybe the Giants and Phillies could have a catcher swap of sorts.

SF Giants could entertain trading Patrick Bailey to the Phillies

Bailey won his second straight Gold Glove following the 2025 season and the defensive metrics show he is far and away the best defensive catcher in all of major league baseball. However, he leaves a lot to be desired offensively.

Last season, Bailey slashed .222/.277/.325 with 6 home runs and 55 runs batted in on the season which was a slight decline from his first two seasons offensively, but for much of the year his batting average was under .200 and only a solid last month got his numbers back to some level of quasi-respectability.

Ironically, he probably had the two most memorable moments on offense for the Giants in 2025 as he hit a walk-off inside the park home run against the Phillies and also with a walk-off grand slam against the Los Angeles Dodgers late in the season to give the Giants a glimpse of hope for the playoffs.

However, the Giants may decide they want more offense from the catcher spot in the lineup which could lead them to sign someone like Realmuto or make a trade for someone like Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles.

If they did that, they would have to move Bailey which is something they reportedly considered doing at the deadline. If the Giants signed Realmuto away from Philadelphia the Phillies would obviously be in need of a catcher so a trade could be in order.

In that scenario, maybe the Giants could trade Bailey to the Phillies in exchange for left-handed reliever José Alvarado. The flamethrower would give the Giants a late-inning relief option although Alvarado did miss a good chunk of 2025 due to a PED suspension.

This game of catcher musical chairs between the Giants and Phillies is fairly unlikely, but there could be a scenario in which the Giants end up dealing Bailey to the Phillies to address another need.