Phillies' J.T. Realmuto has two issues that no one is talking about amid $45M deal

Contributor
Matt Sullivan
Phillies' J.T. Realmuto has two issues that no one is talking about amid $45M deal image

The Philadelphia Phillies lost Bo Bichette to the New York Mets in a surprising move Friday morning, and quickly pivoted to re-signing J.T. Realmuto.

He's back in Philadelphia on a big $45 million, three-year deal with $15 million in incentives. It's a contract that will pay him $15 million per-year for the next three seasons, a not insignificant amount for a 34-year-old catcher.

But, as YankeeWRLD on Twitter/X highlighted in a post, this contract might become a major problem for the Phillies thanks to Realmuto having two issues that no one is talking about.

Phillies might've overpaid for J.T. Realmuto

"JT Realmuto is a 35-year-old catcher who just put up 91 OPS+ with below average defense for the 3rd year in a row," YankeeWRLD posted on Twitter/x. "3 years for $45 million is wild."

Realmuto has been typically known for being a good catcher defensively, and while he's previously won a Gold Glove award, his defense hasn't been nearly that good in recent years.

By Fielding Run Value, Realmuto has had a -10 in 2023, a -4 in 2024, and this past season, a -5 to be an overall below-average defender for the Phillies behind the plate.

While he's capable of catching base-stealers, Realmuto hasn't been good at pitch-framing and has also struggled defensively in general.

Combined with his worst offensive season since 2015, a.700 OPS and 91 OPS+, Realmuto has two major issues that are going underdiscussed.

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While the Phillies getting Realmuto back isn't the worst thing, as Rafael Marcha cannot be relied upon to be the starting catcher for a full season, there are some big concerns with Realmuto's game.

The soon-to-be 35-year-old catcher isn't playing like he used to. His offensive regression has been stark, but his defensive struggles are the much more concerning issue.

Realmuto is getting $15 million each of the next three seasons, and if he doesn't improve either offensively or defensively, the Phillies might be in trouble, as this Realmuto contract might be a wild overpay as soon as 2026.

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