The Philadelphia Phillies face some tough decisions this offseason, and while Kyle Schwarber gets most of the attention, J.T. Realmuto’s situation deserves just as much focus.
Realmuto’s been one of the better catchers in baseball for years now. His defensive work behind the plate has been elite, and he’s delivered solid offensive numbers for most of his career – even with some recent struggles at the plate.
The question now? Whether Philadelphia can afford to keep him.
Here’s the thing – the Phillies don’t exactly have a ready-made replacement waiting in the wings. And finding a free agent catcher who can match what Realmuto brings defensively isn’t going to be easy.
That’s why Jim Bowden of The Athletic thinks the veteran backstop could still land a decent contract, despite some decline in his game.
“Age is catching up with Realmuto, who won Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards in 2022 but has been in decline since. However, he still holds his own offensively and defensively. His power is diminished as his home runs have gone from 20 in 2023 to 14 in 2024 to just seven so far this year.”
The power numbers tell part of the story. But Bowden points out where Realmuto still excels:
“But he still ranks in the top percentile in pop time and in the 96th percentile in caught stealing above average. His framing and blocking skills are graded as well below average at this point, but he’s lauded for his game calling and pitchers love throwing to him.”
That last part matters more than people realize. When your pitching staff trusts you completely, that’s worth something.
Bowden projects Realmuto’s market value at around $13.7 million over two seasons – roughly $6.8 million per year.
At that price point, bringing back Realmuto starts to make a lot of sense for Philadelphia. It’s not a budget-breaking number, and it keeps a proven veteran in place while they figure out their long-term plan behind the plate.
The Phillies are trying to maximize their current window, and stability at catcher – especially with a guy who knows the staff inside and out – could be more valuable than the raw numbers suggest.
