Phillies emerge as leader in J.T. Realmuto sweepstakes, give Rhys Hoskins big raise

The Yankees' agreement with DJ LeMahieu and the Angels' signing of Kurt Suzuki might increase the likelihood that Realmuto will wind up with the Phillies.

Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins, right, avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing to a $4.8 million salary for 2021. Will catcher J.T. Realmuto return next year, too?Read moreHEATHER KHALIFA / Staff Photographer

by Scott Lauber

Published Jan. 15, 2021, 4:23 p.m. ET

Rhys Hoskins, Vince Velasquez, and Jose Alvarado agreed Friday on 2021 salaries, thereby avoiding arbitration hearings next month. But even if they hadn’t, all three were under contract to play for the Phillies this year, and that wasn’t going to change.

Of greater consequence, then, is the Phillies’ emergence as the leader in the J.T. Realmuto sweepstakes.

Team officials prefer to keep negotiations private, but with the market for the free-agent catcher seemingly shrinking by the day, Realmuto’s path back to Philadelphia is getting clearer. According to reporting Friday night by The Athletic, the Phillies have offered him a five-year contract for “slightly north of $100 million.”

“In regards to any contract negotiation, we prefer to keep them confidential,” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said, though he continues to maintain that the team hopes to re-sign Realmuto.

All along, the Phillies knew the cost to keep Realmuto beyond 2020 may eclipse Joe Mauer’s catcher-record $23 million annual salary. But all along, Realmuto’s camp believed his compensation -- via arbitration last winter and free agency now -- should align with all comparable players, not only catchers, creating a chasm between the team’s perception of his value and agent Jeff Berry’s.

Realmuto’s market hasn’t taken shape in the two months since he became a free agent. The New York Mets opted for catcher James McCann last month, and the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Angels likely bowed out Friday. The Yankees agreed on a $90 million deal to bring back infielder DJ LeMahieu, their top free-agent target; the Angels filled their catching need by signing Kurt Suzuki for $1.5 million.

So, which teams may be left?

Toronto Blue Jays: Despite their willingness to spend money, they came up short in their pursuit of LeMahieu and a trade for shortstop Francisco Lindor. They appear now to be focused on landing center fielder George Springer or pitcher Trevor Bauer. If Springer and Bauer go elsewhere, though, they could pivot to Realmuto.
Washington Nationals: They are known to have at least some interest in Realmuto but have already bulked up their offense by trading for first baseman Josh Bell and signing left fielder Kyle Schwarber. They could seek a less expensive catcher to pair with Yan Gomes while addressing other needs, such as third base.
Houston Astros: Realmuto would provide them with a catching upgrade while also moving closer to his Oklahoma home. But after being docked first- and second-round picks in 2020 and 2021 as a penalty for stealing signs in 2017-18, the Astros may be reluctant to give up another pick as compensation for signing Realmuto, as The Athletic reported this week.

It seems increasingly likely, then, that Realmuto’s best fit is right back with the Phillies. He liked playing here for the last two years and led all catchers with 7.4 wins above replacement. Managing partner John Middleton has said it’s a “priority” to re-sign him. And Dombrowski has been in touch with the catcher and Berry.

Over the last two days, the Phillies added $16.8 million to the 2021 payroll. They signed free-agent reliever Archie Bradley to a one-year, $6 million contract that will be signed after he completes a physical, according to multiple sources, and settled with Hoskins ($4.8 million), Velasquez ($4 million), and Alvarado ($1 million) before Friday’s deadline to exchange salary figures.

Including those contracts, and figuring in salaries for players with less than three years of major-league service and payouts for benefits and other expenditures, the Phillies have approximately $150 million in 2021 payroll commitments, as calculated for the luxury tax. They have signaled a reduction in payroll from last year, when they spent $207.6 million against the luxury tax, according to estimates tracked by Cot’s Baseball Contracts. It’s not clear, though, how much ownership intends to scale back.

Realmuto (or another catcher) isn’t the Phillies’ only need, either. They must address shortstop and are monitoring the market for Didi Gregorius, Marcus Semien, Freddy Galvis, and others. They also need to add depth to the starting rotation and continue to rebuild baseball’s worst bullpen last season.

But by settling with Hoskins, Velasquez, and Alvarado, the Phillies crossed a few items off their January to-do list.

Hoskins, 27, received a 693% raise from his full-season salary of $605,000 last year. After a dismal second half in 2019 and a shaky start last season, he went on a tear, belting 10 homers with a .991 OPS in his final 25 games before injuring his left elbow. He underwent surgery in October but likely will be ready for spring training, according to manager Joe Girardi.

Velasquez, 28, was thought to be a non-tender candidate after his ERA rose for a second year in a row to a career-worst 5.56 mark last season. Instead, the Phillies brought him back for one more year with a $400,000 raise, a decision necessitated by their lack of major-league pitching depth.

Alvarado, 25, came over last month from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade. Shoulder issues limited him to nine innings last season, but with an average fastball velocity of 98 mph in 2019-20, he fits into Dombrowski’s plan to stock the bullpen with hard throwers.

Extra bases

The Phillies have not confirmed the Bradley signing, but the 28-year-old right-hander posted to his Twitter account a GIF of Rocky, arms aloft, on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. ... Former Phillies outfielder Nick Williams, acquired in the 2015 trade of Cole Hamels, signed a minor-league contract with the Chicago White Sox.