Categories: Rumors

Phillies offering J.T. Realmuto ‘about $110 million,’ per report

We continue to learn more about the Philadelphia Phillies pursuit of two-time All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto, who is a free agent after spending the last two seasons with the team.

J.T. Realmuto is a free agent. (Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire)

Last Friday, Jayson Stark of The Athletic reported that the Phillies had extended an offer of five years and “slightly north” of $100 million to Realmuto.

Wednesday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network added more specifics, saying that the offer on the table is worth “about $110 million.”

It’s not clear how Realmuto’s camp – once believed to be seeking almost double that in total value – feels about such an offer. Frankly, though, they don’t appear to have a ton of remaining leverage.

The Toronto Blue Jays had been seen by many as the biggest remaining competition for Realmuto, but they landed former World Series MVP George Springer on a six-year/$150 million deal completed Tuesday evening. Could another team – say, the division-rival Washington Nationals – that’s laid low for much of the offseason change course and aggressively pursue Realmuto now? Maybe, though there’s no indication currently that will happen.

Short of taking a one-year deal and trying things again next winter – when he’ll be a year older and there could be a work stoppage – it’s unclear what option Realmuto will have that’s better than what the Phillies are currently placing in front of him.