The Philadelphia Phillies added organizational catching depth Friday by signing Mark Kolozsvary to a minor league contract that includes an invitation to major league spring training. The move was first reported by The Athletic’s Will Sammon, who wrote on X, “Catcher Mark Kolozsvary has agreed to a minor league deal with the Phillies that includes an invite to major league spring training, league sources said.”
Catcher Mark Kolozsvary has agreed to a minor league deal with the Phillies that includes an invite to major league spring training, league sources said.
— Will Sammon (@WillSammon) December 26, 2025
Kolozsvary, 30, joins the Phillies after another winding season through multiple organizations. Most recently, he spent the 2025 season in the Boston Red Sox system, seeing time at both Double-A and Triple-A. Across 30 total minor league games before a season-ending injured list stint, he hit .253/.336/.495 with five home runs and 17 RBIs. At Double-A Portland he slashed .192/.289/.425 in 23 games, and he also received a brief opportunity at Triple-A Worcester, where he went 10-for-22 (.455/.500/.727) with a home run and eight RBIs over seven games.
Before Boston, Kolozsvary signed a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins on June 20, 2023, less than one week after being designated for assignment by the Baltimore Orioles. His time with Minnesota was brief. He appeared in just six games with Triple-A St. Paul, going 3-for-14 with one home run, one double, one walk, and four RBIs. He spent much of that period on the Development List and elected free agency at the end of the season.
Across his career, Kolozsvary has appeared in 11 major league games. Ten came with the Cincinnati Reds in 2022, when he went 4-for-20 with one home run, two doubles, one walk, and three RBIs. He also appeared in one game with the Orioles in 2023 but did not record a plate appearance. Drafted by the Reds in the seventh round of the 2017 MLB Draft out of the University of Florida, Kolozsvary remained with Cincinnati until October 14, 2022, when Baltimore claimed him off waivers.
Defensively, Kolozsvary has earned a reputation as a reliable catcher, which has helped sustain his career despite ongoing offensive challenges at the Triple-A level. In 407 career plate appearances at Triple-A, he owns a .194/.309/.338 slash line, numbers that underline why teams view him primarily as depth and insurance rather than a long-term answer.
Kolozsvary joins the organization during an unsettled period at catcher. Longtime starter J.T. Realmuto is still a free agent, leaving Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchán as the only other catchers in the organization with meaningful major league experience besides Kolozsvary. Realmuto, who has been with the Phillies since 2019, hit .257 with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs last season and remains one of the most decorated catchers in baseball, with three All-Star selections, three Silver Slugger Awards, and two Gold Gloves.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski addressed the situation earlier this month during a Zoom call, saying, “Catcher is really our main focus. I think as far as our everyday positional players, other than catcher, we’re pretty well set.” Dombrowski also acknowledged that talks with Realmuto have continued without a resolution, adding, “We continue to stay in contact. But probably not a lot different than where we’ve been in the past.”
Phillies insider Matt Gelb of The Athletic later reported that the organization has explored alternatives while discussions continue, writing that “the Phillies and Realmuto are locked in a standoff,” and Realmuto’s return “is not guaranteed.”
Despite the unresolved catcher situation, sportsbooks have shown little movement in how they price the Phillies. DraftKings opened Philadelphia at +1100 to win the World Series and has not recorded a change to that number. FanDuel and BetMGM have listed the Phillies at +1000, while Caesars has posted them at +900. In National League futures, FanDuel lists Philadelphia at +550 to win the NL.
The signing of Kolozsvary adds depth ahead of spring training, a period when teams routinely carry additional catchers to handle the daily workload of pitchers. If he remains in the organization through camp, he is expected to spend most of his time at Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
