Phils Sign Catcher! No, Not That One

Lots of news coming out of South Philly today. There's talk that shortstop Jean Segura is going to get traded this winter, and the signing of a catcher. The catcher is backup Andrew Knapp, who signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract. Meanwhile, all we hear are crickets regarding free agent JT Realmuto.

Since they didn't offer a qualifying deal to Didi Gregorius and might trade Segura, that leaves kind of a big hole at short. Top prospect Bryson Stott isn't quite ready for prime time, and nobody knows how Scott Kingery is recovering from his disastrous 2020 season and COVID infection. 

But here's a name to consider as a possible stopgap at short–Freddy Galvis. He's a free agent who still defends with the best of them, and can contribute a little bit with the bat. It's a huge dropoff from Gregorius, but I can think of worse options than Galvis. And he'll be relatively cheap, which is right up owner John "Ebenezer" Middleton's alley. 

So the Phils still need to figure out who will play center and who will catch full time, since it's looking painfully clear like Realmuto won't be back next season. 

And non-tenders are supposed to be announced really soon. Here's hoping Vince Velasquez doesn't get a new deal. Readers of this space know who I feel about VV, and it's time to bid good riddance. Enough is enough. (Photo by The Philadelphia Inquirer)