The Philadelphia Phillies have made a few moves this offseason, with the biggest being re-signing Kyle Schwarber to a long-term deal. However, there is one loose end they’ve yet to tie up.
That loose end is re-signing their All-Star catcher, J.T. Realmuto. Fansided’s Zachary Rotman believes Philly should re-sign him, as there aren’t any better catchers on the market, and the ones they have currently aren’t nearly as good as him.
“The catcher market is incredibly weak, and J.T. Realmuto is the best option by far. Knowing this, he should have a good idea of what his market is by now and be able to pick his ideal landing spot…The Philadelphia Phillies probably don't want to give Realmuto the contract length he's looking for, but what's the alternative? Do they really want Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs as their catcher tandem? Do they want to sign a lesser free agent in a win-now year? Is there another option realistically available worth trading for? Even if it's an overpay, it feels like the Phillies can ill-afford to let Realmuto walk,” Rotman wrote.
This past season, Realmuto had a down year but still put up decent numbers, slashing.257/.315/.384/.700 with 26 doubles, 12 home runs, and 52 RBI. He’s also a two-time Gold Glove behind the plate, so he’s one of the best defensive catchers they can get.
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As for his contract, he’s projected to receive a two-year, $25 million deal. For his production, the Phillies would be silly not to offer that deal to him.
Hopefully, the Phillies re-sign him soon, as they need to focus on other things with the offseason starting to wind down.
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