The fallout from the Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette signings continued on January 16. After the Phillies lost out on Bichette, the team pivoted and re-signed catcher J.T. Realmuto, filling out a key role on the roster before camp opens up next month.
A Look at Realmuto
Catcher J.T. Realmuto was an immediate hit with the Phillies after he was acquired via trade in the 2018-19 offseason. Realmuto hit 25 home runs and a career-best 64 extra-base hits, giving the Phillies a true building block to go alongside Bryce Harper.
Realmuto continued to be a steady performer over the early 2020s. And arguably, his best work came in 2022, when the Phillies advanced to the World Series. The now-34-year-old had a 20-20 season, then added three more home runs in the postseason.
However, Realmuto’s offensive production has declined over the last three seasons. After a 22-home run campaign, along with a .820 OPS, during the 2022 season, Realmuto’s numbers have dipped across the board.
| Year | AVG Bat Speed (MPH) | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 73.5 | .452 | .762 |
| 2024 | 73.2 | .429 | .751 |
| 2025 | 72.0 | .384 | .699 |
His 2024 campaign wasn’t a significant dip. In fact, Realmuto hit 14 home runs and 33 extra-base hits across 99 contests. However, he had 37 extra-base hits in 2025, and didn’t eclipse that home run total (12) at all.
It’s worth noting that Realmuto was one of the Phillies’ few productive hitters in this past year’s playoffs. He notched six hits, including one home run, over the four games in the NLDS.
Realmuto has been more aggressive of late. His 32.3% Chase% was the highest of his MLB career.
Defensively, Realmuto has also seen a decline. He remained one of the best in terms of pop time and throwing out runners. On the other hand, Realmuto has declined significantly in terms of framing.
For much of his MLB career, Realmuto was at least an average to slightly above-average framer. But over the last three years, he’s a -29 in that category (per Statcast).
Per the New York Post, the Phillies have re-signed J.T. Realmuto to a three-year deal.
Analysis
This felt like an inevitable reunion, even though at some points throughout the offseason, it didn’t.
The Phillies came into the winter with Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs as the two catchers on the 40-man roster. Marchan would have likely been the favorite to win the starting job. However, neither would be considered a major offensive threat.
Realmuto, despite his downturn in production, has been one of the best, as far as catchers are concerned, for much of his MLB career.
The move comes just shortly after the Phillies lost out on Bo Bichette. Philadelphia was considered a prime candidate for his services and met with him earlier this month. However, Bichette signed with the Mets after New York missed out on Bo Bichette.
With Realmuto in tow, it also fills out the one true hole in the Phillies’ lineup for 2026. Philadelphia brought back DH Kyle Schwarber in December, then added Adolis Garcia on a one-year flier deal after two down seasons in Texas.
The Phillies will retain much of their 2025 lineup core. In fact, the only two notable players who aren’t on the roster anymore are Harrison Bader and Max Kepler, both of whom are still free agents (Kepler will be suspended for 80 games once he’s signed due to a PED suspension).
Nick Castellanos, for now, is still on the team. As is Alec Bohm, notable given the two have been the target of rumors over the last two winters.
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