The Philadelphia Phillies are dealing with three big free agents hitting the open market this offseason, and while Kyle Schwarber and Ranger Suarez are drawing the most outside interest, JT Realmuto might be the most important of their free agents.
With a lack of strong catcher options on the open market or via trade availability, re-signing Realmuto is a priority for the Phillies this winter.
And speaking of winter, according to a prediction from Robert Murray of Fansided.com, MLB's upcoming winter meetings might bring good news for the Phillies on Realmuto's free agency.
Phillies predicted to get good news during winter meetings on JT Realmuto
"There's a lot of interest in free agent catcher J.T. Realmuto." Murray writes. "Teams love his leadership and what he proves on the field, both at the plate and behind the plate. It's why the Phillies love him, and I have a very difficult time seeing him leave Philadelphia. It won't be a long-term contract, but a reunion keeping the two sides together makes all the sense."
Keeping Realmuto in Philadelphia would be a huge move for the Phillies, as the lack of free agent catchers and trade targets makes their options if he departs a big issue.
Realmuto is a two-time All-Star with the Phillies and has carved out an incredible career over the last seven years since coming to Philadelphia in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins.
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While the 34-year-old catcher is regressing a bit offensively, hitting.257 with a.700 OPS, the lowest mark since 2015 for Realmuto, as a sign he's taking a step back from his All-Star level production.
But the lack of better options and the familiarity he has with the city, the team, and most importantly, the pitching staff, make retaining Realmuto a high priority for the Phillies.
Murray is predicting that Realmuto will stay with the Phillies, and with the premise of this report as one of the things to watch out for at the winter meetings, the Phillies could have their Realmuto decision in the next week.
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