The Philadelphia Phillies have a decision to make behind the plate this offseason.
For the first time in seven seasons, the Phillies have a question mark at catcher with star J.T. Realmuto testing free agency. The 34-year-old is one of the best backstops in the league and a three-time All-Star, but his offensive production has been declining over the past couple of seasons.
Despite Realmuto’s regression, MLB.com’s Andrew Simon believes that it’s “just a matter of time” until the Phillies bring back the veteran catcher in free agency.
“While there are reasons for the Phillies to be skittish about re-committing to a catcher who will turn 35 in March and is showing clear signs of decline, there are even clearer reasons for them to bring back Realmuto for an eighth season in Philadelphia,” Simon wrote Wednesday. “This is a team with obvious urgency to capitalize on its championship window and one whose current catching situation without Realmuto is projected at the very bottom of the league.
“The free-agent market offers no better alternative, while a trade-based solution would be both tough to come by and quite expensive in terms of talent. Nothing is guaranteed in baseball — nor in free agency — but it feels like Philly retaining Realmuto is just a matter of time.”
Though Realmuto’s not the same player he once was, the 34-year-old is still far better than the Phillies’ other options at catcher. He’s not going to command another long-term contract in free agency, but is projected to sign a shorter, two-year, $25 million contract, according to Spotrac. Bringing back Realmuto would give Philadelphia a chance to find a long-term solution at catcher without impacting its championship window.
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