Earlier this offseason, reporting out of Philadelphia indicated that Phillies brass are considering reducing the workload of veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto as he enters the final season of his deal with the club, after the first season of Realmuto’s career where he played less than 100 games due to injury. In that same report, there was a suggestion that the club could look to broach the topic of a contract extension with Realmuto ahead of his final year of team control, whether that would ultimately come later in the offseason or once camp opened up for Spring Training.
As January comes to a close, there have been no further reports regarding the state of talks between the sides. That could change quickly, however, given that camp will open in just two weeks. After all, last winter saw plenty of rumors about the possibility of an extension between the Phillies and right-hander Zack Wheeler, but talks did not begin until Spring Training was underway and eventually resolved in early March. Should the Phillies be interested in following a similar timeline with Realmuto, it’s easy to imagine talks starting up in the near future.
Realmuto, 34 in March, was dealt to the Phillies by the division rival Marlins prior to the 2019 season and has been a key cog in the Philadelphia lineup ever since. In 699 games for the club, the veteran has slashed an excellent .266/.331/.463 with a 112 wRC+. That puts Realmuto alongside Salvador Perez and Sean Murphy has one of the better offensive catchers in the past decade, though he falls outside the top tier occupied by Adley Rutschman, William Contreras, Willson Contreras, and Will Smith. Realmuto was at his best during the 2022 season, when he finished seventh in NL MVP voting, won the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards for the catcher position, and became the second catcher in MLB history to post 20 homers and 20 steals in a single season.
The past two seasons have seen Realmuto’s age and heavy workloads begin to catch up with him, however. He’s hit just .258/.315/.442 (105 wRC+) since the start of the 2023 campaign. His 25.2% strikeout rate during that time is higher than ever, and his walk rate has dipped to just 6.5%. Perhaps more importantly, Realmuto has fallen from the upper echelon of defensive catchers in the sport to become below average in terms of both blocking and framing, though he still remains elite when it comes to controlling the running game. While Realmuto has remained productive even amid this recent decline in skills, it’s fair to wonder if the veteran’s downturn in production the past two years could worsen as he enters his mid-30s given the harsh aging curve associated with the catcher position.
On the other hand, Philadelphia’s options without Realmuto in the fold are uninspiring. After a strong year as Realmuto’s backup in 2022, Garrett Stubbs has been one of the worst hitters in the sport the past two seasons with a paltry .206/.287/.271 slash line in 95 games. Youngster Rafael Marchan hit a far more robust .294/.345/.549 (146 wRC+) last year while filling in for Realmuto during his trip to the injured list, but that came in a sample of just 17 games and 56 plate appearances. If Realmuto were to head to free agency after the coming season, the Phillies would need to find an external addition at catcher to fortify that group anyway.
None of those options figure to be a clear upgrade even over the diminished form Realmuto has shown the past two seasons. Danny Jansen, Jose Trevino, and Victor Caratini are among the best catchers expected to be available next winter, but Realmuto’s 105 wRC+ is tied with Caratini for the lead among that group over the past two years and his 4.2 fWAR easily clears the production that trio has put up in timeshare roles. While a big season from Jansen and/or an additional step back from Realmuto could change things, a healthy season from Realmuto with a reduction in his day-to-day workload could improve his numbers and make him more difficult to bring back should he make it to the open market.
How do MLBTR readers feel president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski should handle Realmuto ahead of his final season under contract? Have your say in the poll below:
Absolutely
Extending a catcher at his age is typically not a great financial idea. That’s not even taking into account his declining numbers.
Plenty of other guys available
Austin Barnes (36)
Tucker Barnhart (35)
Christian Bethancourt (34)
Victor Caratini (32)
Curt Casali (37)
Elias Diaz (35)
Austin Hedges (33)
Danny Jansen (31) – mutual option
Martin Maldonado (39)
Tom Murphy (35) – $4MM club option with a $250K buyout
Omar Narvaez (34)
Tomas Nido (32)
Salvador Perez (36) – $13.5MM club option with a $2MM buyout
J.T. Realmuto (35)
Gary Sanchez (33)
Jacob Stallings (36) – $2MM mutual option with a $500K buyout
Max Stassi (35)
Jose Trevino (33)
Christian Vazquez (35)
All of those guys are either washed or never good at batting in the first place except salvy and JT
JT had a down year and is old now so at most he should return to Philly on a 1 year deal next offseason
So JT is by far the best available option? But he should take a 1 year deal? Looking like 3 years double digit aav to me easy.
JT had a down year
========================
Except for the fact that he hit well and still played good defense.
@DreamGM, besides Perez is there anyone else that you would take over JT? I don’t see any starters better than those two on your list. Perhaps Dave should look into dealing for one of the top catching prospects. But the cost would likely be too high in terms of prospects or controllable major leaguers.
@dodgers32 Choices are awful. KC picks up option. It’s JTR by light years if healthy. He should like Philly by now. They should both be fair and reasonable and get a contract done. Develop a future catcher if they don’t have onr coming. You should have and need 2 anyways.
Yes, extend him.
No way. Let the guy go to the Dodgers so he can experience playing in a WS a few more times before he retires.
Dodgers own their current catcher for 10 years.
Whoa whoa what’s with this Phillies stuff? I think we need an article on if the Padres will trade Cease. 🙂
It’s been a few hours since I heard anything about Alonso
Need a trade article for Suarez. Can’t have Cease and King hogging all Padres trades rumors!
At least Padres fans can sleep well knowing Machado Boegarts ain’t going nowhere!!!
Tatis either
How about a Profar rumor?
Cardinals
~BITA
I haven’t counted, but I’d make a modest wager that we’ve seen more Bregman articles than Cease articles.
Although we haven’t had our daily Bregman article yet.
Depends on the details, particularly the length of any extension. He’s caught a lot. Time is not kind to all athletes, but especially catchers.
No brainer. Who would the replacement be?
Eventually they’ll have to get younger at the position, especially if jt’s numbers keep declining. Is Rafael not worth a shot to see what he can do for the future? His limited mlb action has been pretty good, but do his minor league numbers leave something to be desired? How is his defense?
Marchan can’t stay healthy.
Marchan has a pretty long injury history. I’d see what he can do this year as the backup, but it’s possible he’s simply never durable enough to play more than, say, 40% of the games.
The issue is who will be Realmuto be in 2 years or 3 years? Both 2023 and 2024 have been below his career averages. The numbers will likely continue to decline. You will not be getting the 30 year old Realmuto but the 35/36 year old Realmuto. Even if you extend him…..you will have to ask who will be catching the other 70+ games. He won’t be catching 130+ games as in his prime. His Salary will need to reflect both reduced playing time as well as reduced production…..and his hitting will not be prime so he will not be the best DH option on his days off…..
I mean, everyone assumes it’s gonna be a multi-year deal. I don’t know if that’s happening. What I think works well for both parties is a year-by-year agreement, maybe a two year affair if need be. The reality though is there still aren’t many better catchers in the game, and it’s possible none of the better ones will be available any time soon.
I agree wholeheartedly with that statement that’s why I will honestly be very upset if the braves include drake Baldwin in a trade for any piece unless its a superstar type of acquisition. we may have Sean Murphy locked up for a while but teams need to carry at least 2 catchers year round and after letting d’arnaud walk it’d be ridiculous to try and bank on Murphy catching every single game, and the games he doesn’t banking on a lower tier catcher to make up the difference. Plus there aren’t many young near mlb ready catchers, especially ones in the top 100 prospects list. And the catchers that are around are only getting older and declining.
If it’s going to be a Year By Year that is best for both Paries…Then normally you are not doing the extension now. Once the season is over, then both parties look at the market and give him a reasonable short-trem market. It’s quite possible he will want to stay because he already lives here with his family, like the clubhouse, etc….
Honestly, I think that is how it’s handled versus trying to extend him before free-agency a year from now. Rarely are early extensions for just a single year….
No they shouldn’t…but they will
This isn’t a no-brainer. He’s still very good, but declining fast.
The only “brainer” portion is price and term; otherwise the answer is apparent. They don’t have anyone of quality that is major league ready and even a declining JTR is Top 5 last season with injury issues.
Folks undervalue catchers, and generally don’t clearly understand what they bring to a team if they can do it all. He brings the game management; the pitcher-whisperer and the quiet leadership along with the control of the running game, defensive skills and a bat that is still above par for a catcher. Plus, he keeps himself in great shape.
He probably will not have a large decline defensively in the next 2-3 years (esp. with a reduced workload), and the bat can still be at least average even if he heads downhill at the plate. The art form will be the deal terms
I would extend him with the idea of moving him to a full time DH within a couple of seasons, especially with Schwarber set to hit free agency next winter and Castellanos in 2 seasons they’ll need to keep some bats around
Not really a dh bat now. Years from now might be ugly. Such a good catcher he should be able to catch until retiring. Obviously he can dh to keep healthy but majority of his value is in being able to catch.
.275-.300, 20-25 Home Runs without the riggers of Catching is still a decent contribution for a DH
“rigours”
Lol. He couldn’t do that in his prime. What would make you think he could do that as an aging DH?
His bat is only good for a catcher, not a DH.
The mlb landscape is bare.
Phillies options: catcher of the future Tait hasn’t turned 19 yet, Marchan has a staying healthy issue and well Stubbs.
And that c they got w/ Luzardo…..
Looking at a 3yr deal @54 million.
I would sign that tomorrow…prefer two with an option but your proposal would be very fair and probably under his market by a decent amount.
Like starting pitchers’ arms, catchers knees only have so many innings in them.
At what price and length of contract are we supposed to consider? The terms make all the difference in yes or no.
They will need him, yes. Give him 3 additional years, probably not. 2 and a team option at market rate – sure.
@Long this. If it’s 2 years at market rate, or maybe 10% above, extend him. If it’s 4/100 heck no!
Yep. There are 3 older catchers this year that got 2 year contract at about 12 total. One of those was Kelly at only 30. None at the level that JT has on his resume but catchers getting old and declining are not a good investment even if they started the decline from a higher ceiling!
I honestly don’t see anyone else offering much more than the Phillies should be willing to spend on him. And I think everyone involved knows this.
I’d think he’s got a pretty realistic expectation of what his value is on the open market, and I think the Phillies should make him a reasonable (middle of the predicted market rate) offer for two more seasons, maybe a mutual option for a third.
Which I predict he would take, and then retire as a Phillie at the end.
If he’ll accept 2 and 30 w a 15 option, then certainly extend him. Depending on what kind of year he has, he may be a candidate for a QO.
I guarantee you he won’t receive a qualifying offer
And I would doubt a 2 and 30 is offered but it isn’t my money. 2025 old catchers getting 2/12.
Might get 3 and over 30. Heck 2 and over 30. Might take 3 though. Had knee surgery or something so will have to see.
Probably not but I wouldn’t guarantee anything. If Realmuto has a productive season – say .770+ OPS – a QO will certainly be a consideration. I am actually downplaying the likelihood of an extension. 2 and 30 is hardly a high AAV for a catcher who can still hit a little. I am not even sure I would want Realmuto for 2 more years, but at 2 and 30, that’s a relatively easy decision. Realmuto will only turn 34 in a few months.
If he has a 970+ ops he won’t get a QO and I guarantee it.
Why not? Placing a Q.O. over his head may discourage teams to sign a 34 y.o. catcher and he could return to the Phillies for a 2-yr deal. But if he’s slugging .970, some team will gladly pay over the Q.O. and lose a draft pick for him to be at least a DH.
He received QO previously and 1 is the limit.
Hmm. I don’t recall too much from 2020, apparently.
As a Mets fan…heck yes they should extend him.
As Phillies fans, we’re thrilled the Mets 23 year old catcher has the build of a 73 year old man in poor health.
There is no chance Stubbs is the catcher of the future in Philly. He’s lucky if he’s even on the roster after spring training.
Bingo. Stubbs is a good backup catcher, at least in the context of a contending franchise.
But he is not in any way the guy to take Realmuto’s place… and we don’t have a solid replacement in line yet.
People talk about Marchan, but he’s not even close. He **might** take over Stubbs’ role, but he shouldn’t be in the starting catcher conversation. At all.
Gotta extend JT for a couple of seasons. He’ll start playing less, but being a bat off the bench (and a mentor on it) has plenty of value.
As a Phillies fan who loves JT I think they bide their time and keep all of their options open. …. If Schwarber doesn’t have a drop-off this year, that’s a bat you must extend. I think/hope the plan this year is that Marchan will be healthy and can make about 50 starts, and then you see (1) if Marchan is anything, (2) how JT produces with a reduce workload. ….. Definitely not opposed to bringing him back at the right price and I can see a scenario where he and Marchan continue to share time for a couple seasons. ….. If he has a great season and there’s a good market for him, then the Phillies can still absolutely stay competitive in the bidding to keep him, but there’s no need to sign him now IMO.
The contract will be underwater before it’s even done being printed up, much less signed
I’d love to see what Marchan could do with 300 plate appearances. If he could stay healthy.
Don’t expect much. He hit a whole .229 against minor league pitching in AAA last year.
Maybe for a year or two at a lower rate, but I would like to see the team give Marchan a more extended chance. Stubbs shouldn’t have a roster spot in my opinion; offer him a coaching role.
Lol. Marchan is no better Stubbs
I looked up what muto means. It means dumb [adjective] without the power of speech. dumb [adjective] silent. mute [adjective] unable to speak; dumb. So does his name mean “Real Dumb?”
Royal Silence, or whatever tinkles your fancy.
Move Harper back to RF/ and make Realmuto the 1B.
If Harper goes back to right ………Sign Alonso, let JT walk
Realmuto is possibly a 30hr guy playing everyday at 1B. He can be had for a fraction of Alonso’s salary.
Not in the real world
No. He’s not. Stop it.
At 34? No way. Test the market and sign him at market value + $whatever and makes contract length. You can’t continue to pay him as a good hitting, running, defensive Catcher. He’s too old to wear that label. He’ll soon be a DH or DH/1B, etc. Pay him accordingly.
shame bregman can’t catch
Definitely let him get to free agency then decide what to do, based on performance and asking price. Best to wait on a player in decline. The price would go down most of the time.
As much as I love him, I don’t think they should extend him.
Two thoughts:
Catchers almost never outrun Father Time. Approaching 35, Realmuto’s numbers have dropped as has his durability.
Plus, the Phils have an excellent catching prospect in Eduardo Tait. Better to see if he can be MLB ready by ‘27, instead of overpaying for a catcher whose best days are behind him.
His primary value to the team is not with his bat. It’s in his on-field leadership and how he works with pitchers to call games. If he stays sharp and consistently puts up something close to 100 wRC+ with the bat, it’s a no-brainer that they should extend him.
It’s wild how no one ranks cal Raleigh in the top 5 of mlb catchers. He’s got 30+ home run power, elite framer, elite arm, plays at Safeco field and is undeniably clutch.
It’s a shame Harper is entrenched at 1B, because having JT as 1B/C would be a great way to keep give him a rest from behind the plate sometimes
JT’s bat isn’t good enough for 1b though. He hits well for a catcher, but that’s it. If Harper played elsewhere, the Phillies would just sign another 1B with a better bat.
Yes, they should sign him to a 5 year extension with 2 player options in the $25M – $30M per year range
I’m not the first to say this, but without having the years and salary attached, then the question is DOA. I’d give him $25M/2 and not think twice. $51M/3? Probably not.
Offer him 2 years with plus a 1 year option MAX or let him walk.
Th Phillies already have too many big contracts. Their core of players is aging.
Don’t get behind the 8 ball like the last Phillies contending team when they held onto a core group of aging veterans with huge contracts that they could not get rid of
Remember, the wheels came completely off that former Phillies championship team leading to a long, painful rebuild.
I remember when the Mets chose to sign James McCann over for King over a lot more money to sign JT. In other words, they had the option to join a country club, but they instead chose to keep playing at a public course.
I see a lot of comments where people think they should extend him for 2-3 years until Tait can take over but to keep this window of contention open the smart move would be to swing a deal either for Cal Raleigh, Shea Langeliers or a top prospect in AAA ie Ford or Dalton Rushing who are both blocked.
Cannot believe people are saying re-sign him for 2 to 5 (FIVE!!! Lol) years. Let him go. Going downhill fast, the theory that the pitching staff is so much better when he catches is so overblown. There was absolutely no difference at all when he returned from his knee issues last year.
So first, you said:
> the veteran has slashed an excellent .266/.331/.463 with a 112 wRC+
And then in the very next paragraph:
> He’s hit just .258/.315/.442 (105 wRC+)
Um, those two stat lines aren’t **that** far apart from each other. Yeah, it’s gone down… as one would expect… but not by all that much.
IMO the bigger issue isn’t his overall line, it’s how he’s become much more of an on / off / on / off / on / etc. player in recent years. He used to be a lot more consistent, and a lot more “clutch”.
I still voted to try to extend him. His Big FA Year was 2021; whether we extend him or let him test free-agency, he’s going to end up with about the same money no matter where he lands.
And I’m not sure the Phillies have a better use for that money.
I think he’s still a valuable piece of the Phillies… for another season, maybe two.
**That’s** when it becomes a much different discussion (and, TBH, I suspect if the Phillies extend him through, say, 2027, he’d then retire as a Phillie.