The Philadelphia Phillies can't really afford to let J.T. Realmuto get away.
But as free agency drags on, the catcher has yet to sign a new contract with the Phillies. Which leaves Philadelphia looking at a nightmare catcher situation if a deal doesn't get done with the 35-year old free agent.
"It's surprising that Realmuto hasn't re-signed yet with the Phillies -- without him, FanGraphs ranks the Phillies' catching situation as the worst in the majors -- especially since the club had prioritized re-signing Kyle Schwarber (mission accomplished) and Realmuto," ESPN's David Schoenfield wrote on Friday.
There isn't a ton of competition out there for Realmuto. Schoenfield listed three other teams potentially in the running:
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- Miami Marlins
- Tampa Bay Rays
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"The Rays have struggled with offensive production at catcher for several years now," Schoenfield writes. "Agustin Ramirez showed some promise at the plate as a rookie for the Marlins but was abysmal on defense, throwing out just eight of 91 base stealers while leading the league in passed balls. Liam Hicks wasn't much better for Miami (base stealers were 51-of-57 against him) -- prospect Joe Mack can't arrive soon enough. Meanwhile, the Pirates will likely run Joey Bart and Henry Davis out there once again."
Those teams aren't known for their financial might, so maybe none of them can afford Realmuto anyway.
That must be what the Phillies are hoping, that Realmuto's asking price will eventually come down, because it's risky to not just get a deal done with a player they pretty much need to land.
"Those are all small-market teams, so you can see why the Phillies might believe they don't have to pay Realmuto anything close to what he made last season ($23.8 million)," Schoenfield writes. "There just isn't an obvious market for him outside of Philadelphia."
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