Catcher J.T. Realmuto is entering the final year of his contract with the Phillies but it’s possible he’ll stick in Philadelphia beyond that. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the backstop and the club have mutual interest in an extension, though whether they can agree on a price point remains to be seen.
“Obviously I have interest in coming back to the Phillies,” Realmuto said recently, per Lauber. “I love being here. My wife loves it here, my family. Their friends are all in the organization. So, there’s certainly interest on our end. I would hope the Phillies have interest, as well.”
Realmuto was acquired from the Marlins ahead of the 2019 season. After two years with the Phils, he hit free agency, but the two sides reunited on a five-year, $115.5MM deal going into 2021. Over those six years in Philly, he’s been the best catcher in baseball. He has hit .266/.331/.463 for a wRC+ of 112 in that time with solid defense to boot. FanGraphs has credited him with 23.2 wins above replacement for that stretch. That’s almost five wins clear of the next-best catcher, with Will Smith at 18.5 fWAR.
The Phils would naturally love to keep that kind of production going but it’s now becoming a question as to whether Realmuto can keep it up. He turns 34 years old in March, meaning he would be 35 years old for the start of a new contract. There aren’t a lot of full-time catchers that age or older. Last year, 37-year-old Martín Maldonado was the oldest catcher in the league. He was released by the bottom-feeding White Sox in July. 36-year-old Yan Gomes was released by the Cubs that same month. Among a few 35-year-olds, Travis d’Arnaud got the most playing time with 79 starts behind the plate. 34-year-old Salvador Perez played 158 games last year but he’s started spending more and more time at first base in recent years.
Realmuto has had a huge workload in his career. He’s appeared in 1,120 games behind the plate over the past decade, with Maldonado a distant second on that list with 921. Perhaps that suggests Realmuto is capable of bucking the league-wide trends, though it’s also possible the grind is catching up to him. He required knee surgery in June and only played 99 games last year, his lowest full-season tally since his 2014 debut. His .258/.315/.442 batting line over the past two years has led to a 105 wRC+, still good but below his previous work.
Though the Phils have reportedly considered lowering Realmuto’s workload, getting into the first base/DH mix won’t be easy with Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber in those positions. That means getting him off his feet might require him to be out of the lineup altogether. Per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, the Phils have had Realmuto shagging some balls in left field, though both the catcher and manager Rob Thomson characterized those drills as more experimental than any kind of real plan.
Zooming out to look at the rest of the roster, there are also arguments for and against an extension. On the one hand, the Phils don’t have a better solution in the system right now. Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs are also on the roster but they profile more as depth guys than everyday regulars. Baseball America lists three catchers on their list of the club’s top 30 prospects (Eduardo Tait, Alirio Ferrebus, Guillermo Rosario) but none of those three have even reached the High-A level.
On the financial side of things, they will have to consider a few alternatives. Schwarber and Ranger Suárez are both impending free agents as well, as are Max Kepler, Jordan Romano and Joe Ross. Matt Strahm and José Alvarado are entering the final guaranteed years of their respective contracts, though the Phils have club options on those two.
Going into 2026, the catcher position will surely be a focus, but other areas of the roster might need investment as well. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco looked into the possibility of a Suárez extension this week in a post for Front Office subscribers. If the Phils keep Schwarber around, it would be harder to pivot Realmuto off the catcher position like Sal Perez, as Harper is locked in at first base.
It’s been a long time since a catcher got a big deal for his age-35 season or older, as shown on MLBTR’s Contract Tracker. Kyle Higashioka just got $13.5MM this offseason. The most recent deal to top that was a three-year, $60MM extension between the Cardinals and Yadier Molina back in 2017. The only deal close to that one in terms of guarantee was Jorge Posada’s $52.4MM deal way back in 2007.
Based on Realmuto’s track record, he’ll surely be looking for a notable deal. But if the Phils have hesitation about continuing to invest in him, they could consider other options. Next winter’s free agent class will feature guys like Danny Jansen and Jose Trevino alongside Realmuto.
There’s also the trade market. The Mariners have Cal Raleigh but also one of the top catching prospects in Harry Ford. It’s a similar situation in Baltimore, where the Orioles have Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo. The Brewers have William Contreras with Jeferson Quero not far away. Ditto the Dodgers, Will Smith, Dalton Rushing, and potential logjams on other rosters as well.
All those alternatives will come with various degrees of uncertainty, whereas the Phillies clearly know and love Realmuto. It’s a tricky tightrope, as Realmuto is clearly valued by the club but there comes a point where it’s wiser to move on to other options. Two weeks ago, a poll of MLBTR readers resulted in roughly two thirds voting against the Phils giving Realmuto an extension.
Doesn’t seem like a good idea.
Depends on the deal. Even in decline, he’s better than everyone they currently have. Not every extension needs to be a huge salary increase.
As bad as the catching market is, Philadelphia should hang on to him like grim death. Ahahahahaha!
“Depends on the deal”…Exactly. Practically anything is negotiable if the price is right. If J.T is willing to sign a short term contract that acknowledges he’s not the player he was 5 years ago then they should almost certainly sign him to a 1, possibly 2 yr extension.
There is a reason why he and his agent wants to…his metrics suggest he is on the down side of his career and he will be 34 this coming year.
Are we certain he is on downside of career? Maybe his best years are yet to come!!!!
He’s got my vote for MVP
Boston signs him and Wade declares winning the off season!!!
I mean JT would win the offseason wherever he goes!
I’m sure he is.
Foolishness to suggest the Orioles would trade Adley or Samuel Basallo!
Foolish not to. Extend or trade. Draft pick is nice but nothing compared to possibly trade returns. Washington built the foundation of their team with trades. Milwaukee reloaded with Burnes trade. SD reloaded with Soto trade. More dangerous team with Kikg Cease vs Soto. Santander wasn’t going to get the same prospects so perfectly fine to keep him. You have to find out what’s available though to decide what’s best.
Lol why would phils do this?
34 yr old catcher coming off worst full season of his career
Because his “worst season of his career” was bettter than 80% of the league’s catchers. Also, most of a catcher’s worth doesn’t come in the batter’s box. There’s a reason the Phillies have one of the best rotations in baseball while pitching in one of the leagues least friendly venues for pitchers, and JT is a big reason why. Listen to what Wheeler has to say about him and how he never shakes off a pitch from him and you’ll get why JT will be in red pinstripes in 2026.
@Bryc3 Harp3r Great points. The Phillies have to balance that against their already being an old team. Do they want to get even older, and can they afford what Realmuto will want in the context of a time-share at catcher (instead of expecting him to resume his 135 games a season load at 34) as they transition him to a backup role over, say, a 3-year deal?
I think it’s smart to lean on the data and projections when doing contract extension estimates, but when it comes to catchers I trust that the team knows better than anyone what intangibles they bring. And I suspect that those are substantially in favor of JT.
Furthermore, the league average slash line for catchers last season was .234/.300/.378. I’d feel pretty confident JT can provide better than that for the next three seasons or so.
I’m not sure he’s a future Hall of Famer but I do know he’s going to get some votes when eligible. He’s the type of leader and clubhouse guy a contending team would do well to keep around.
I just looked at and commented the available free agents list not too long ago. It’s scary awful.
Every player has a worth. If he is willing to sign within that value extend him. If fans like him and no reason I know they wouldn’t and he truly wants to be there and it seems best for his legacy and after baseball life, no reason not to do a deal for either side.
Seems dangerous to try to keep the window open by committing to so many players declining years. But I also don’t see great options.
Thats really the issue: how much of their roster is in or close to decline. If the farm isn’t providing much in the way of solutions/replacements, then at some point they simply have to pivot and start managing payroll and developing younger talent.
The good news on that front is that they have a number of slots in the lineup they can look to fill with younger players and where that won’t work do what Stearns did with the 2024 Mets and infill with short deals.
4/9ths of their 2024 lineup was 27 or under, three were 31, one was 32, JTR was 33. Sosa was 28. If they start working on this now they have a chance to head off collapse but it might mean things like moving on from Castellanos and eating 90% of his 2026 salary, and forgoing the pleasures of Schwarber’s mid-30s decline even if he’s still productive in 2025 by not bringing him back.
many players? only nola harper and turner are long term contracts the rest is out of the books in 2-3 years
200 300 million payroll teams shouldn’t need or have windows. Only long term contracts are what Turner Harper. The other expensive guys are expensive. Their $ comes off the books so you just take that $ and buy new players to replace them. Maybe actually develop some prospects who are cheap. And you don’t need expensive players. Some of Santana Goldschmidt Lowe Naylor Horowitz will put up close enough numbers of a Alonso. Maybe as good or better. All low cost risk. If you miss it’s only 1 year. Not even because there’s the trade deadline. And if one player having a 100 ops lower cost you playoff spot so be it. Try again next year. Missing a year isn’t a death blow. Making playoffs 10 years in a row is difficult so a down year lets you sell at deadline and reload. Ideally when Harper is no longer MVP contender a Crawford or someone is and there’s another young player on way to that level.
4 year deal with Club options on year 3 & 4.
For a 34 year old catcher already showing decline? You gotta be kidding, cut this guy loose and count your blessings on a great run with him
Franchise guy, loved by his teammates (aka, Harper), and still a good everyday catcher, familure with pitching staff. No internal options.
2 year commitment is easy here.
If a “2 year commitment is easy” it’s likely to take at least three to get him.
He’ll probably be worth having around for three years—I’d be willing to bet that a 36 year old JT will be better than most backup catchers in the league—so if the Phillies agree, it comes down to price, and whether he has a realistic assessment of his future. Will he fully cooperate in the transition to a younger, better catcher or at a minimum a fairly even split in the work behind the plate?
Good everyday catcher? He’s old. Just had knee surgery. Do you want him as everyday catcher? Didn’t he play somewhere else and switched to catcher? Even if not he looks plenty athletic to throw in corner outfield or 1b. Let him catch 2 or 3 games a week, give him a game or 2 at 1b while Harper gets a dh game. Put him in RF at PIT or LF BOS HOU. DH 1 or 2 times a week.
Years don’t matter. Only $. Pay him what he’s worth or better yet willing to accept and stretch it out 3 4 5 years. If he can’t play just pay him to sit at home that last year. Give him some advisor ambassador thing. Your stretching out the $ and tax hit. You aren’t really paying him for the 5th year.
I’d go shorter. 2-3 max.
Is he a justified catcher going forward doing it w the block 1b already. You ride it out play the year and find his replacement when he walks.
Even without the block at 1b, I think his bat is only good for a catcher at this stage.
The avg isn’t gonna play past the 2 yea if that. Knees are gonna shorten his career. Feel bad he’s been great but he’s saying hey guys I’m a 33 year old catch today expecting the sunset contract. doesnt work that way. Best of luck past 35 jt he’s lucky see 3 at best here.
He’s not blocked at 1b because there’s no need for him to be a full time 1b. Harper can use some dh days and a rare off day. JT can DH rest of time. Maybe even play outfield or catch a game or 2 a week. There’s off days injuries and pinch hitting as well. Today’s game you find bats. If they hit you then find a position. There’s always a place for a good hitter. And if he can’t hit and he can’t catch he’s useless.
I saw the left field stuff I’m trying to remember another close comp recently on something like this and biggio is what ones to my head initially.
Could be better example. Recent retro Craig Wilson maybe?
Farmer/france might be a better one but talents not close vs the versatility in play.l and it’s more reversed. Ball players are ball players we can bash all we want but beating white mamba in 1-1 is a reality check. We’re no where near floor any more than at chance on ceiling.
Shelf life on catchers is like spoiling milk in the sun. There’s only so much mileage you can put on those knees at position to maintain elite production. Most default to first I’m surprised most don’t go to 2b personally. It’s a little bit more active but playing 1b ft if it was open you need to validate the power over avg. where at 2nd it’s kind take it or leave it and might be the better move for him and negotiation from Philly. Different situation on values maxes in asks on the board though and I don’t think you pay a 33 year old c to be a over paid 2b.
I’m surprised most don’t just play knees in the ground and catch and let the arm do the talking. I’m still feeling it in myself from my years and I’m glad I went to pitching or it would be worse. Much worse.
Avg is down already per league but warranted as a c. He’s not close to a .300 hitter on or off the plate. I don’t think the buys worth it past 36. Have to look at similar comps on contracts.
The super ut is interesting because then the eligibility validates him in both baseball and fantasy.
Bryce can get away w murder in Philly. If I’m not mistaken didn’t he request extension year 2 or 3 on that contract already? I can’t remember when he did. And out if we’re clowning around he’s it but respect deserves respect hate it or love it about him he was and is that dude still.
I don’t follow Philly much vs Pittsburgh. Nothing against though like a lot of what they do in/out regularly. Not a fan of Luzardo but it’s a move make.
DD doesn’t get enough credit. But he deserves his criticism over all vs Like say preller does w his payroll or whatever they think they are doing in San Diego these days.
Jt on the contract asks is more thanks for the memories. That’s dangerous on an elite pitching staff w familiarity. To me that justifies the pay past the 3. But that’s it. The bat going forward on a 34 year old left fielder that’s never played position at mlb let alone own a glove there him self. Is that worth a 8 figure contract. To me no. I think he’s worth under but he’s not gonna extend at that number in Philly.
I’m just throwing out things to think about. I don’t care what they do with him. Although I seen multiple people mention 2 50m. Doesn’t sound appealing to me.
Will he hit better not playing catcher and how much? It easy and affordable to find 700 something ops guys. So if he can’t catch or be a 800 ops it’s not something to worry about. I think it comes down to can he catch 40 percent of the games? If so there are easy ways to find him playing time. I like outfield because depending on parks or pitching matchups almost anyone can play outfield. He seems athletic enough to do it. If Kyle is gone playing time isn’t a issue. These guys are getting up there. Give Harper some dh time and a off day once in awhile.
No hate I love deep dives. Just not about that attack life unless I am this is public and I don’t get paid for my grammar or opinion ya know.
He can be the jolly olly ice cream man tomorrow. With his money sure that will save your knees. I see the 3 I play. On his end to Philly. Field prolly will over pay the 2 though.
I think if he’s not concentrating on ice baths and a pitching staff the talent says he will. The regression on age is another story but for me he’s 2 years on the freefall there.
To me you either want a really good catcher or a really bad one. You pay for the offense defense. I value defense begin the plate because it means the focus goes into the staff vs the bat production.
I think you have to keep him behind the plate until he’s like I need to move off full time but option b isn’t close and you need experience as a staff like that.
Of scared me because if he can’t catch 40% he can’t cover ground and Crawford isn’t covering around him today. By June he will. So it’s plausible and in play. Just think you slowly move a guy off like this but is he a 25 mil a year super ut?
Positions don’t need to be defined as locks no, but you have to value a player for what he is in front of you where he defaults to in the diamond yes. Contracts are based off that.
Harper won’t play 140 at 1b so it’s possible I just think the ask on dollars and ability to transition beyond regression is really unprecedented. He’s a 33 year old catcher who’s got mileage already. Could he really play lf 130 games? Eh we’ll see.
@hehe or anyone needing to kill time.
* 1st paragraph absolutely nothing about JTR or baseball so feel free to skip to 2nd one if you are short on time. Funny because a guy I been trolling with for a week just insulted it. I use voice or type fast with no backspace. Any mistakes I am simply giving the spelling police entertainment. And I am here only to entertain myself and others. Don’t like don’t read. I try not to be long winded and use paragraphs. Even if I gave 100% I couldn’t right perfect. 1 year out of college I forgot everything beyond a 2nd grade level.
JTR for right $ I am interested. 25m a year I would find other ways to spend it. If he can’t catch his value tanks. Outfield I’d just 2m to Tauchman. If I think he will hit drastically better without having to catch ok do I want to bet on him or Profar? I know what Profar can do in outfield. Profar vs JTR 2024 isn’t close. Conforto much cheaper than 25m. Grichuk at 5m hits LHP like a all star. Even a guy I don’t like as much as these Kepler 10m or whatever. 1b you had 4 guys around 12m who should be around 800 ops. Santana maybe not but won gold glove last year. Conforto Santana Goldschmidt Naylor Grichuk Canha Alonso will be available next year with others joining them. Only position JTR looks really great at is catcher.
2 years/$50M seems like a very fair extension that matches the old deal’s value plus some industry-level and real world inflation- but anything beyond 2 years at any price point is likely too risky.
But also this could be a prime example of letting a player walk while they’re still productive and let someone else pay for their real declining years where the next contract will go from a big shiny new toy to an albatross chain around the team’s neck before the second season of the deal.
The hard boundaries for the Phillies should be two years and fifty million guaranteed. Maybe toss in some incentives. If Realmuto won’t agree, look to the free agent market after 2025. If, say, Jansen proves it in 2025 on his prove-it contract, pick him up at a lot less than Realmuto would cost. The Phillies would get four years younger at a demanding position.
No way should they go over 2 years 34 mil
Two years and $34 million is telling Realmuto to leave. He would easily get more than $34 million guaranteed from somebody else after 2025, as he would be by far the best catcher on the free agent market. If the Phillies want him to keep him around, they’re gonna have to pay a lot more than that.
2 years and $34M seems like a good, fair offer. If I’m D. Dombrowski I might be willing to add a 3rd year team option(same $17M/yr rate and a $1M buyout)to bring the total value of the deal to $35M.
Hofer in waiting, Yadi Molina found out that your own team will value an older catcher a lot more than other teams will.
Fangraphs has him at 2.0 and 2.1 fWAR the last two years. 2/50 isn’t reality for that player, regardless of how shiny his intangibles are.
Baseball-Reference has Realmuto at 3.6 and 3.0 WAR the last two years. Those are some of the best numbers in baseball for a catcher. If he does anything like that in 2025 he would easily get two years and $50 million in free agency, or more. A lot of teams are hurting for a good backstop.
So if I’m running the Phillies – scary thought – I offer two more years and fifty million right now. If he turns it down, move on and hope he has a big year in 2025 that helps the Phils win. But that team is getting old and creaky all round. It’s too risky for the Phillies to go beyond two more years for a catcher with a lot of games on the knees.
Baseball-reference is notorious for missing badly in both directions on catcher defense. The Phillies FO uses a form of WAR much closer to fg’s figure—compare fWAR with bWAR on Francisco Alvarez, for example, a genuinely above average if erratic catcher in both 2024 and 2023:
fg: 1.9 v 0.8 br
fg 3.0 v 1.0 br
No one in their right mind for 2026 and after is giving a then-35 yo, 2-win catcher (and that’s if he holds serve this season) a 25m AAV. Not even the Phillies, though, hey, they gave Castellanos $100m, so who knows, maybe you’ll get your wish.
If they want to roll over their current roster and not collapse for half a decade, Dombo et al will have to make tough decisions with Schwarber, Realmuto, et al, decisions likely to aggravate their fanbase. They’re already hooked to all of Harper, Turner, and Nola’s decline phases, 70m a year through 2030. How much deeper do they want to dig the hole?
Baseball Reference doesn’t have the catcher framing in their WAR calculation. Fangraphs does.
Realmuto is not a good framer the last two years. Alvarez is good. Take the difference between DRS and rField and add it to their RAA. Their numbers will get closer to their fWAR.
Supply and demand. 2/50 is a reality when he is the best option at a scarce position, regardless of cherry picked stat
Yeah, the sum of BA, OBP, SLG, HR, walks, Ks, defense, throwing out runners, framing,… with a closer, statistically significant relationship to team wins than any other stat we have… what a “cherry picked stat.”
I really don’t buy that either Fangraphs or BR is naturally superior in their estimates of WAR. The differences between them usually come down to defense, the hardest part of baseball to evaluate. It gets even trickier with catchers because so much of their defensive value comes from pitch calling – setting up hitters to be most vulnerable to the stuff of each individual pitcher on the staff.
By any measure, though, Realmuto has been among the best catchers in baseball over the past two years. If he maintains anything like that performance in 2025, there’s no way that Philly could hang onto him with a two-year offer at $34 million total. His agent would probably laugh at such a low-ball offer and easily find much more money from other teams.
So try two years and fifty million right now. If Realmuto doesn’t take it, then move on to other alternatives after 2025.
He’s about to be 34. Under contract already. Just had knee surgery. Hit data trending down. Running I would guess is as well since you usually don’t improve. 50 million for age 35 36 seasons. I don’t love it. He better have a heavy load at catcher and I dunno about that. Pay a bit more and stretch it out 3 or even 4 years. Get that aav down at least.
No, I definitely don’t go beyond 2026-27 at any price. If Realmuto walks, let somebody else have the age-37 years and beyond.
The point is that offering $34 million for 2026-27 is an invitation to leave. Realmuto would certainly walk and get more for those years from some other team. If he has a good 2025 season, he would get a LOT more from somebody else as easily the best catcher in the free agent market.
So try $50 million for 2026-27 to lock him up now. If the offer doesn’t work, so be it. But at least it MIGHT work.
At 50m he can just leave. But in the middle at 40 could work. That’s just me. Philly could give him 50 and it wouldn’t surprise me. I’d give him 50 for 3 years if medical told me knees are fine and he can catch. I doubt that’s the case but if he can catch half the games or close enough there’s a compromise to get a deal done.
Wait and see if they can’t pay Schwarbs market value and he walks they can have him cycle in the DH spot. They can’t lose both.
They’d __better__ lose both. It’s their best chance to reduce the age hit and not be a collection of antiques in 2026-2027-2028 winning 70 games and still having to wait until 2031 to shrug off the contracts of even just one of Harper (37 in 2030), Turner (37), and Nola (36).
We’ll see if Dombrowski is willing to lose a little love but make the Phillies better in both the short- and long-term. It’s already going to get painful, but he still has an alternative to emulating the worst of Amaro Jr’s tenure, he still has enough productive young players, and with a mid-tier farm it’s not a case of having to wreck the joint in order to save it, unless the implosion is self-inflicted.
Schwarber at 2.1, 1.0, 3.4 fWAR 2022-2024 at anything like a 20m AAV on a multiyear deal should be easy to move on from, at least in a strictly financial sense. Moderately productive 33 year olds (in 2026) shouldn’t be on anyone’s wish list. He’s about one twitch fiber away from a BA so low, all the walks in the world won’t save him.
Fun player to watch, though.
Schwarber has deceiving numbers. played with a bad knee in 23. Elected not to have surgery for the same thing that benched trout. Took the stat hit but played anyway because no one else made sense while Harp healed. Still a high rank in scoring production in comparison across the mlb, adds to the net RoR for the company. For what it’s worth still a high trade value if it doesn’t work out to extend. A lot of decent teams lack that guy. And although Philly doesn’t use #12 to full capacity for fear of injury or whatever, doesn’t mean another team won’t… or don’t see the need like Philly did when they just couldn’t seem to get to the playoffs and needed …. That guy. Philly wants to extend. But with the market value pushing higher for far less productive players. It remains to be seen what Dombo will do.
Not signing 2 players who want to be there so likely you can get them cheaper than anyone else doesn’t sound like a good idea. That’s a huge advantage you have. At least see what it takes. At least bid up your competition.
When this came up a couple months ago, my take was 3yr @54mil and the post wasn’t well received. Outside of a trade, I’ll stick with this and look to Crawford and Miller in ’26 being near fulltime.
2 years is pushing it. Absolute maximum at best. His batting statistics for a catcher aren’t too bad, but he doesn’t hit nearly well enough to be a future DH or 1st baseman.
2 years and 30 million with a 3rd year option also for $15 million. I like Realmuto. It is also very likely to be a year over year decline from here on. He’s not getting a $20 million + AAV from the Phillies before the season starts. if he puts up an .800 OPS this season that would certainly improve his situation.
DUMBrowski wants to sign Realmuto so he can trade Eduardo Tait on July 30th for two months of a closer.
The win-win for the Phillies and Realmuto is probably a two-year extension and then only plan on him catching 100 games per year, tops. …. Hopefully Marchan can start to assert himself, too, which gives them a good problem. Then, after 2027, there’s a very good chance Tait is close
Two years, $30 million.
Just slap a QO on him and let him walk if he declines
QO ain’t happening.
I remember when the Tigers didn’t sign this guy… Als’ cook was goosed!
Phillies gave like $20M, that was unheard of. He and Molina baked the cake and then ate it too!
Top catchers got around $7-10M, max.
there arent many catchers that can actually play the position and hit well too. Gary sanchez is not as good a hitter and is a worse hitter got 8.5 to be the backup catcher and platoon dh.
The problem with ALL teams these days is quite like pitching if they hit well they become fielders. The bat becomes their signature focus from the coaching staff. They rarely encourage both.
well think of all the things a catcher has to do:.
He has to be in with the pitchers so he can understand the pitchers best and worse pitches and best placements as well as way to calm them down after bad pitch call or give up homerun
Has to study the hitters so he can call the game to put the team in the best place
He has to practice framing (may change with robo umps)
He has to practice the pop up and quick throw to get would be stealers.
He has to have stamina as he is literally the only player that is in on every pitch for his side what 150-200 pitches as you dont see the catcher get pinch hit for very often.
plate blocking etc etc
and this is before even taking a swing of the bat at practice. This is probably why you see a catcher being ops+ 100 for a catcher to be a very good hitter. It maybe why you see so many catchers become coaches as they are quarterbacking the game during the game.
Given Dombrowski’s history I would guess 6/$200M will get done before the season starts.
This is a pivotal year for the entire Phils organization. A few years ago, they thought they were beefing up by adding Castellanos, Schwarber and Turner to the solid base created by Harper and Realmuto. So far, the experiment has been entertaining, but the Phillies’ cigars are still in their humidor. Through the first half of last season, the Phils appeared unbeatable, due largely to a lopsided schedule in which the Phils played weak teams almost exclusively. But as day the night, the second half rolled around and reality set in. The Phils struggled in the second half of the season and limped into the playoffs where they were easily eliminated by the Mets. The fate of guys like Realmuto, Schwarber, Castellanos, and even Turner hang on to the outcome of one final championship run before the Phils must rethink their course and jettison some expensive cargo. Schwarber has always been the luxury the Phils have been unable to afford. His popularity with fans and media have obscured his inconsistent play and the fact that he has hogged the DH position to the detriment of the Phils lineup. An aging lineup needs a safety like the DH position to be able to rest older stars when their days in the field grow shorter. Schwarber in the lineup every day, especially in the leadoff position where he has slowed the Phils potential running game, has removed a strategic option from the Phils’ offense. The fact he cannot play any defensive position has also handcuffed the Phils’ lineup flexibility. Realmuto is another fan favorite, and more justifiably so. Until last season, he was the best catcher in baseball, but those days are past him. The smart money would be to pair him with a younger catcher like Rafael Marchan and allow them to split time defensively, but the inability for Realmuto to keep his bat in the game on a regular basis remains thwarted by Schwarber’s DH exclusivity. So, extending Realmuto may not be as easily achieved as it appears, especially since Realmuto was a champion for catcher’s rights when he signed a landmark deal with the Phils, leaving paltry salaries for catchers a thing of the past in the big leagues. Realmuto may want more than the Phils are willing to spend on an aging backstop, and another disappointing finish to the season may be all Realmuto needs to follow the money to a team willing to pay more than the Phils for Realmuto’s name and reputation. This will be a pivotal season for the Phils and, anything but an auspicious first half may see some popular Phillies players being traded by the trade deadline. Many sports writers continue to insist the Phils are still the cream of the NL East. Sports writers in New York and Atlanta seem to think differently. Beyond that, there’s word of them stocking the humidors with Montecristos in LA for what many believe is already a done deal. The Mets will be stronger this season, the Braves will be healthier and the Dodgers will test just how much a franchise has to spend to buy a championship. To wit, the Phils may find themselves trying to rebuild their team sooner than anticipated. The likes of Schwarber, Castellanos, Realmuto, and even Turner may soon become afterthoughts, as the likes of Crawford, Miller, Painter, and all the free agents that money will allow rapidly create a new landscape in Philly, new hopes, and new dreams.
Turner is signed til something 2032 with a no trade clause and all the say in the world what position he plays and what everyone else is doing lol. I do see some trades happening because the first wave of tries fell short of success this off season. If the team isn’t as viable as it should be, the players other teams ACTUALLY wanted to trade for might become more the topic of conversation. And if extensions for Schwarber and Ranger don’t go as planned they have trade value and no protection. If Walker has a better showing decisions will have to be made for someone on the pitching front.
You will be paying for the expected future production of the age 35/36 yo season(s) of a catcher with significant mileage while also calculating the probability of possible fall off the cliff decline and eventual future breakdown/injury during said seasons. To be clear any multi-year deal at significant $$ to a 35/36 yo catcher isn’t going to workout. Everyone knows this. However, he just listed the compelling reasons why he & his rooted family want to stay in Philadelphia (lost leverage/team friendly deal?). Maybe you get him on the cheap, maybe the fans browbeat you into signing him no matter the cost or maybe the Phillies have no better alternative. Either way keep the length short and the dollars few so at worst any deal is just bad rather than boat anchor.
supreme, Realmuto goes home to Choctaw, Oklahoma in the offseason. So, although his family may be thriving in Philly, the City of Brotherly Love will probably not be where the Realmutos reside following JT’s playing days. The Phils may take your advice and try to extend Realmuto for a lower salary. However, JT, who still fancies himself an athlete may have different thoughts. Another organization may offer him a first base position, outfield position, or even DH, along with more money than the Phils are willing to spend. Then, we’ll see just how badly Realmuto and his family want to stay in Philly. In the event the Phils are successful in extending Realmuto and the team doesn’t win the 2025 championship, look for a few other big names to depart Philly post haste.
It doesn’t make sense on Philadelphia’s end when they can just wait until after the year to evaluate him. Paying him now is paying him for past production and his history with the team and fanbase.
It makes sense for Realmuto to want to lock in future earnings now, least you suffer a decline or injury.
At age 36, TDA (who’s no longer a true everyday player, but still a veteran bat and well respected game caller) got 2/12 from the Angels.
Aside from somewhere between $20-25 million over two years, I’d rather wait another year to see where his production and health is at after 2025.
If you wait you have other teams to bid against. Like you said it makes sense for him to do it now. So less $ now in exchange for that security. Win win for both sides. You said you like no love Philadelphia. Prove it.
If he accepts fine. If he rejects and has a poor year I can get enjoyment of seeing him cry like Alonso. If he does good oh well because I really only want him back on a team friendly deal. Not interested in paying a old catcher 20m or more not to catch. Whatever the outcome is a win for me.