J.T. Realmuto’s price is on the rise as the Phillies sink in the standings | Bob Brookover
Signing the All-Star catcher will be costly for the Phillies. If the team does not improve its poor play, it could help drive him away.
Sign J.T.! Sign J.T.!
That’s the sentiment we’ve been hearing ever since the Phillies acquired catcher J.T. Realmuto in the February 2019 trade that sent top pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez and catcher Jorge Alfaro to the Miami Marlins.
Sign J.T.! Sign J.T.!
The chants ring out even now during a season in which fans are banned from the ballpark because of a deadly virus. From beyond the closed Ashburn Alley entrance at Citizens Bank Park, the Phandemic Krew expresses its burning desire for the Phillies to retain the player who holds the title of “best catcher in baseball.”
Sign J.T.! Sign J.T.!
Realmuto hears you.
“Yeah, it’s hard not to be aware of it, to be honest with you,” the two-time All-Star said, managing a smile even after the Phillies had been swept in a three-game series by the Baltimore Orioles. “They definitely make their voices heard and I certainly appreciate that. The passion that they have for this team and the backing that they have had for me is obviously greatly appreciated from me and I definitely hear it also. Keep it up, guys.”
There is no doubt that Realmuto is sincere in his fan appreciation, but that is not going to be enough to keep the 29-year-old Gold Glove and Silver Slugger catcher in Philadelphia. He’ll need a lot more, starting, of course, with a big, fat contract.
It became clear during the offseason that Realmuto and his agent, Jeff Berry, believe catchers were shortchanged in the salary department in the past. When contract comparables were mentioned by Realmuto’s camp, the name Paul Goldschmidt rolled easily off their tongues even though he is a slugging first baseman able to take the field on a daily basis. Goldschmidt, 32, is in the second year of a five-year, $130 million contract with St. Louis.
Realmuto’s quest for a mega-contract has only been enhanced by both his own performance this season and a change in rules that is here to stay.
In just 14 games, he has hit eight home runs, thanks in part to his emerging opposite-field power.
“I think it’s just that I’m growing as a hitter and kind of figuring myself out,” Realmuto said. “I kind of found something halfway through last season, which helped me have a successful second half. I just kind of continued that into this season. My swing hasn’t really changed … over the last three or four years. It’s more timing- and approach-based than anything. I’ve figured myself out and the results are showing.”
Could he be capable of hitting 30 home runs in a 162-game season? Only 17 catchers have ever done that, and eight of them are in the Hall of Fame.
The National League’s adoption of the designated hitter rule this season has also enhanced his value because now he has three spots (catcher, first base, and DH) he can play and his bat is clearly worth keeping in the lineup whenever possible. Even if his number of catching starts declines in his 30s, he will still have tremendous value, and that should drive up his price on the open market.
Beyond that, he is a tremendous clubhouse presence because of how much he cares. That came through Thursday night as he started a Zoom call with reporters following another ugly Phillies defeat.
“How you doing, J.T.?” Phillies baseball communications assistant Jim Hogan asked at the start of the call.
“I’ve been better,” Realmuto said.
He was clearly bothered by the team’s 5-9 start that left it at the bottom of the National League East standings.
“Yeah, it’s concerning,” Realmuto said. “Nobody wants to start off 5-9 … but this shortened season we have to get it going quicker than we normally would. It’s definitely being talked about in the clubhouse. We are trying to pick each other up and stay positive because if we have one good week we are right back in it, especially in our division, because nobody is running away with it.”
For the sake of the Phillies’ desire to keep Realmuto in Philadelphia, things need to turn around. There’s little doubt that managing partner John Middleton will be willing to pay the financial price to keep Realmuto, but there will also likely be some teams willing to match that price even though the free-agent market figures to be sluggish following a shortened season without fans.
If one of those teams in pursuit of “the best catcher in baseball” can also offer a reliable record of winning games and reaching the playoffs, that would appeal to Realmuto. He will be 30 next season and he has never played for a team with a winning record, let alone a playoff team. He also endured the miserable atmosphere of Miami, where the Marlins finished last in attendance every season during his tenure.
It would not be surprising if the start of this empty-ballpark season is reminding him just a little bit of his time with the Marlins, even though those guys just outside the gates in center field keep loudly pleading for the Phillies to “sign J.T.”