Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto is viewed by Mark Feinsand of MLB.com as a top extension candidate as spring training begins. Realmuto is in a contract year in 2025. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Realmuto is willing to sign a new contract. Realmuto, entering his age-34 season, is heading into his seventh season with the Phillies. Prior to the 2019 season, the Phillies acquired Realmuto from the Miami Marlins in one of their best trades in recent years. Realmuto spent five seasons with the Marlins. Prior to the 2021 season, Realmuto signed a 5-year and $115 million dollar extension with the Phillies. Realmuto is entering the last year of that deal. There is some deferred money on that contract as well.
Realmuto has a .266/.331/.463 line with 109 home runs and 382 RBI in 699 games with the Phillies. Additionally, Realmuto has a 114 OPS+ and a 22.4 bWAR with the Phillies. Two of the three All-Star appearances Realmuto has have come with the Phillies. In 2019, Realmuto won a Silver Slugger Award in his first season with the team. Additionally, Realmuto won a Gold Glove Award in 2019 and 2022. Realmuto also finished in the Top 1o in NL MVP voting in 2022. That season, Realmuto recorded a 20-20 season and a career-best 130 OPS+ and 6.6 bWAR that season. He led the majors in games caught in the 2022 and 2023 seasons while leading the NL in 2021. Realmuto has had a 2.9% cWPA in the postseason across the last three seasons.
Realmuto Will Probably Receive An Extension From The Phillies
Alternative Options At Catcher
Realmuto is probably going to receive a short-term extension. Eduardo Tait, the Phillies top-catching prospect, is still a few years away from reaching the majors. Tait is still the Phillies catcher of the future but is not quite ready to step in yet. Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchán are not quite starting-caliber catchers. Realmuto receiving an extension from the Phillies will allow for Tait to develop while maintaining stability at catcher. Caleb Ricketts is the Phillies second-best catching prospect, and he is 24 and yet to play above Double-A. Realmuto is also a better option than whatever free agents there might be available at the catcher position next offseason. This has impacted the Phillies efforts to reduce the catching workload for Realmuto this season.
Payroll Considerations
Feinsand also mentioned Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber as an extension candidate. Schwarber should receive a contract extension during spring training. While the Phillies have a top payroll, making room to extend Realmuto and Schwarber should not be a major issue. Realmuto will probably need to agree to take a pay cut from the $23.875 million he is scheduled to earn this year. That said, Realmuto will probably remain one of baseball’s highest-paid catchers. Five catchers are set to make more than $10 million this season according to Spotrac data. Realmuto has the top 2025 salary among those five catchers. Salvador Perez is the lone catcher besides Realmuto to be scheduled to earn more than $20 million this season.
Main Photo Credits: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
