Headlines

  • Blue Jays To Sign Marcus Semien
  • Tigers To Sign Wilson Ramos
  • Twins To Sign Andrelton Simmons
  • Giants Nearing Agreement With Tommy La Stella
  • Orioles Sign Freddy Galvis, Designate Chris Shaw
  • No Players Elected To Hall Of Fame
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Indians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021
    • 2021 MLB Arbitration Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • Last 100 Comments
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Realmuto Open To Long-Term Deal With Phillies

By Steve Adams | July 9, 2019 at 8:38pm CDT

J.T. Realmuto was clear toward the end of his time with the Marlins that he wasn’t interested in signing an extension with Miami, but the All-Star catcher has taken a different tone with his new organization after just a few months. As Matt Breen of Philly.com reports, Realmuto wasn’t shy during this week’s All-Star festivities about expressing his interest in signing a long-term deal with the Phillies.

“Everything I’ve experienced in Philadelphia has been awesome, so I wouldn’t be opposed to spending the rest of my career there,” Realmuto told the media. It doesn’t sound as though there’d be any particular deadline on talks, either, as Realmuto indicated he’d be open to talks “whether it be tomorrow or in the off-season or next July.”

While plenty has gone wrong for the Phillies in 2019, their acquisition of Realmuto has proven to be a terrific move. His offense is down from last year in Miami (despite a move to a more hitter-friendly park), but his .273/.328/.438 slash line translates to roughly league average for a hitter, per OPS+ and wRC+. Relative to other catchers throughout the league, that’s considerably above-average. And defensively, Realmuto has taken his already strong game to a whole new level.

Realmuto leads the Majors with an incredible 49 percent caught-stealing rate, having thrown out 26 of the 53 players who’ve been bold enough to attempt a steal. His framing marks, once again, are comfortably above the league average, and Baseball Prospectus credits Realmuto as the game’s second-best pitch-blocker (behind Cleveland’s Roberto Perez). Realmuto is tied with Perez for second among all MLB catcher with 10 Defensive Runs Saved, and Baseball Prospectus rates only San Diego’s Austin Hedges as a superior defender behind the dish.

As can be seen in MLBTR’s Extension Tracker, there haven’t been many catchers with four-plus years of service to ink long-term deals in recent seasons. Both Francisco Cervelli (three years, $31MM when he had 5+ years) and Salvador Perez (five years, $52.5MM as a 4+ player) did so in 2016, while Miguel Montero (five years, $60MM as a 5+ player) did so back in 2012. Montero’s deal is dated, though, while Cervelli wasn’t nearly as established a hitter and Perez was signing a make-good deal after initially inking an astronomically club-friendly extension as a pre-arb player. (Mammoth extensions signed by Joe Mauer and Buster Posey were outliers for prime-aged superstars coming off MVP seasons.) From an annual value standpoint, Yadier Molina is earning $20MM per year on a three-year pact that he signed when he was four years older than Realmuto would be in free agency. Yasmani Grandal secured an $18.25MM salary this past winter.

In a sense, a Realmuto extension could help to set some form of precedent for this type of player. He’s already earning $5.9MM in his second season of arbitration and could see that sum pushed to $10MM or more next year even without an extension. He’s on track to reach free agency in advance of his age-30 season, which would set him up nicely for a contract of four years in length. The Mets, as a point of comparison, were willing to pay a reported $60MM for Grandal at the same age, although that deal obviously never came together.

From a team vantage point, the Phillies could easily fit a long-term deal for Realmuto onto the books. Philadelphia opened the current season with a payroll in excess of $161MM (and has pushed $180MM in the past); the organization currently has just under $90MM on the books for Realmuto’s first would-be free agent season in 2021, per Roster Resource’s Jason Martinez.

Share 0 Retweet 18 Send via email0

J.T. Realmuto Philadelphia Phillies

Tyler Thornburg Rejects Minor League Assignment
Main
Injuries Limiting Khris Davis’ Power
19 comments
newest oldest

Comments

  1. suddendepth

    2 years ago

    Yes, please. We love you JT! He’s athletic enough to play anywhere if something happens to his ability to catch.

    1 Like
    Reply
    • qazer

      2 years ago

      Not really. He’s not gonna play SS or 2B or pitch. And while he could probably be functional at any other position, his bat would be mediocre.

      He’s a terrific player, but he’s terrific because he can catch.

      Like
      Reply
  2. bradthebluefishbradthebluefish

    2 years ago

    Nice! Would certainly help make the trade well worth it.

    Like
    Reply
  3. DarkSide830

    2 years ago

    should help stomach losing Sixto. id im having any catcher on baseball the next half-decade if they were all the same age, id take J.T.

    1 Like
    Reply
    • frank_costanza

      2 years ago

      I’m hardly concerned about losing Sixto. I’m more disappointed in the fact that he was our best trade chip and we decided to package him with a serviceable big league player for just a slightly above average catcher.

      1 Like
      Reply
      • jbigz12

        2 years ago

        He was the clear #1 catcher in baseball at the time of the trade. He’s still certainly a top 5 one.

        1 Like
        Reply
  4. KF

    2 years ago

    A comma before “either” is superfluous.

    Like
    Reply
    • Cat Mando

      2 years ago

      So is your endless, narcissistic need to nitpick.

      1 Like
      Reply
  5. jvent

    2 years ago

    Another mistake by the Mets for not trading Rosario and Nimmo for Realmuto

    Like
    Reply
    • spinach

      2 years ago

      I never got how Rosario was considered a major trade asset..he’s done nothing but disappoint. At least Nimmo was good last year.

      Like
      Reply
    • Show Me Your Tatis

      2 years ago

      The Mets need a full scale rebuild. Not a catcher who can be a free agent in a year and a half.

      Like
      Reply
  6. joedirte4life

    2 years ago

    If the Phillies management can’t resign him then there will be egg on their faces and on their cars and homes.

    Like
    Reply
    • Show Me Your Tatis

      2 years ago

      Not if they make a deep playoff run this year or next

      Like
      Reply
  7. Cat Mando

    2 years ago

    You heard him, get it done Klentak.

    Like
    Reply
  8. jleve618

    2 years ago

    I didn’t realize the payroll had jumped that high already.

    Like
    Reply
  9. Mojo2929

    2 years ago

    Russ Martin as a 5+ player signed for 5 years and around $80M I think. With the Jays in 2015?

    Like
    Reply
  10. spinach

    2 years ago

    I don’t think Montero deal is dated at all.

    Like
    Reply
  11. Questionable_Source

    2 years ago

    Of course he’s open to a long-term contract with the Phillies. The Phillies or the Padres. Everyone else will be trying to pay him what he’s worth.

    1 Like
    Reply
  12. lt michaels

    2 years ago

    Incredible defensive catcher and Love his demeanor but hasn’t been great with Phillies pitching staff, calling games. Thought his offense in a substantially smaller ball park and better lineup would be Much better. Disappointing at plate so far especially power wise 10 HR’s in juiced ball year isnt going to cut it. . Prone to outside pitch, hes been addicted to chasing balls outside.

    Like
    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.
Log in Register

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

    Top Stories

    Blue Jays To Sign Marcus Semien

    Tigers To Sign Wilson Ramos

    Twins To Sign Andrelton Simmons

    Giants Nearing Agreement With Tommy La Stella

    Orioles Sign Freddy Galvis, Designate Chris Shaw

    No Players Elected To Hall Of Fame

    Phillies To Sign J.T. Realmuto

    Indians, Cesar Hernandez Agree To New Deal

    Nationals Sign Brad Hand

    Mets Have Made Offer To Trevor Bauer

    Recent

    Brodie Van Wagenen Joins Roc Nation Sports

    Nationals, Blake Swihart Agree To Minor League Deal

    Red Sox, Matt Carasiti Agree To Minors Deal

    Blue Jays To Sign Marcus Semien

    Infield Notes: Phillies, Simmons, Wong, Tigers, Paredes

    Tigers To Sign Wilson Ramos

    Twins To Sign Andrelton Simmons

    Giants Nearing Agreement With Tommy La Stella

    Updating Our MLB Agency Database

    Orioles Sign Freddy Galvis, Designate Chris Shaw

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Trevor Bauer Rumors
    • Kris Bryant Rumors
    • J.T. Realmuto Rumors
    • Marcell Ozuna Rumors
    • Masahiro Tanaka Rumors
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Go Ad-Free
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • 2020-21 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent Tracker
    • 2020-21 MLB Free Agent List
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2021
    • 2021 MLB Arbitration Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Indians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    ad: 160x600_MLB

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • Feeds by Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top
    Close

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version