The Philadelphia Phillies reached the World Series in 2022, but have not gone back since. Despite a roster full of stars, the last three postseasons have been disappointments.
This offseason, the Phillies have many key players in free agency. Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto and Ranger Suárez are all on the open market, and all three could generate plenty of interest. Realmuto showed signs of decline last season and may not be the Phillies’ top priority as a result.
The 12-year veteran is still solid behind the dish, however. He ranked in the 99th percentile for pop time and 95th percentile for caught stealing above average, according to Baseball Savant. He is 34 years old and may not be able to get a long-term deal at this age, and Just Baseball’s Ryan Finkelstein predicted he would land a two-year, $24 million deal from the San Diego Padres.
“Realmuto is the type of veteran leader that makes a good team better, which is why there is every chance he returns to make another run in Philly,” wrote Finkelstein on Friday. “Another fun landing spot for him, however, would be San Diego, where he could help a Padres team that could use an upgrade over Freddy Fermin.”
Realmuto slashed .257/.315/.384 last season and hit 12 home runs. He played in 134 games, and even in a down year, he was better than Fermin. The Padres roster is loaded, and they will likely enter the season as World Series contenders. Adding Realmuto to a mix of Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill could help the Padres get over the hump.
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