Phillies' free agent update is confusing one for J.T. Realmuto

Matt Sullivan

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Phillies' free agent update is confusing one for J.T. Realmuto image

The Philadelphia Phillies and veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto have been in a widely reported contract standoff this offseason.

Thanks to these talks going nowhere, the Phillies have begun to pivot, showing serious interest in Bo Bichette this winter. That only happened due to Realmuto and the Phillies being apart on their contract talks, which likely revolved around money and years.

But, despite the Phillies not likely going for a long-term deal with Realmuto, Jon Heyman revealed in a report on MLB Network that Realmuto reportedly turned down an offer from the Phillies that was likely what he was looking for this winter.

Phillies get unexpected answer from JT Realmuto amid contract offer

"They've kind of been in a stare-down with J.T. Realmuto for quite a while right now. They've offered him a three-year deal, obviously, it's not exactly what he wants," Heyman said. "I think he wants a little more, maybe a little closer to $15 million..."

If the Phillies did offer Realmuto a three-year deal, it's somewhat of a surprise that he didn't take it. While this offer likely wasn't for a high AAV, in the $15 million range Heyman alludes to, it likely would be for around $10 million AAV.

Ideally, the Phillies didn't want to spend a lot of money on Realmuto this offseason. They want him back, but they aren't going to spend $15 million per-year, especially considering Realmuto regressed a bit in 2025 and is 34 years old.

Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies need to find a new catcher, but they aren't going to splurge on Realmuto, as he's not good enough at the moment to justify such a strong AAV over three years.

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If it were a one or two-year deal, that might be a bit different. But the Phillies have been reported to not want to overspend on Realmuto, and their pivot to Bichette is proof.

And even though the Phillies didn't want to spend a lot on Realmuto and sign him to a long-term deal, they reportedly offered him a three-year deal, which, somewhat surprisingly, Realmuto turned down.

This offer had to have been for a low AAV, but even then, it's a surprise that Realmuto, amid a bleak free agent market for catchers, didn't sign on with the Phillies.

He's at risk of losing a spot on the Phillies roster, and without a clear landing spot outside of Philadelphia, he might not be getting the same offers from around the league that he turned down from the Phillies.

This is an odd situation, and once things get resolved, it will be very interesting to see what exactly was going on in contract talks between the Phillies and Realmuto. But, for now, Realmuto turned down an offer that he might end up regretting.

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