Phillies still have plenty of work ahead even after re-signing J.T. Realmuto | Bob Brookover

The Phillies did what they had to do Tuesday, but there is still more to be done.

By re-signing catcher J.T. Realmuto to a five-year deal worth $115.5 million, managing partner John Middleton made a lot of people happy. That list, of course, starts with Realmuto.

It was clear long before the two-time all-star catcher reached the free-agent market that he had his sights set on raising the salary bar for players at his position. That mission was accomplished by the point.five the Phillies added to the end of his salary.

» READ MORE: Phillies and J.T. Realmuto agree to 5-year, $115.5 million deal

At $23.1 million per year, Realmuto surpassed the $23 million per year Joe Mauer received when he signed an eight-year deal worth $184 million with the Minnesota Twins during spring training in 2010. It’s also $1.7 million more than San Francisco’s Buster Posey is being paid this season, so in addition to holding the title of best catcher in baseball, Realmuto now also holds the title of highest-paid catcher in the game.

The last time a catcher of Realmuto’s caliber hit the free-agent market was 2014 when the New York Yankees signed 30-year-old Brian McCann to a five-year deal worth $85 million.

An alarmist might point out that Mauer, Posey, and McCann were all much better offensive players before the age of 30 than they were after the age of 30 and that’s true. Mauer and Posey lost much of their ability to hit for power while McCann’s batting average and on-base percentage significantly dipped. Realmuto will turn 30 on March 18, but his offensive ability has trended upward in his two seasons with the Phillies. He hit a career-high 25 home runs in 2019 and had 11 in 47 games last season. His .349 on-base percentage and .840 OPS during the pandemic-shortened 2021 season were both career highs.

Impending rule changes should make the Phillies feel more comfortable about Realmuto’s baseball life after 30. If he can maintain or even increase his improving power, his bat will play at designated hitter or even first base over the next five seasons. For now, however, Realmuto holds the title of best catcher in baseball and it’s a title both he and the Phillies want him to hold for a while.

Realmuto will not be the only happy camper in red pinstripes when the Phillies report to spring training. When we last saw Bryce Harper, he was the lead singer in the Sign J.T. Band. He had the voice and the hair for the job. Backing vocals came from the Phillies pitching staff and the Phandemic Krew that made their voices heard from beyond the center-field wall last season.

» READ MORE: Now battling for his return to Phillies’ PA booth: Dan Baker | Bob Brookover

With Harper, Realmuto, Rhys Hoskins, and Alec Bohm likely batting in the 2 through 5 holes in manager Joe Girardi’s 2021 order, the Phillies can at least feel comfortable again about how they match up offensively against the rest of the National League East.

The Atlanta Braves’ lineup still looks much deeper than the Phillies’ starting eight, but even with the New York Mets’ additions of shortstop Francisco Lindor and catcher James McCann, the Phillies’ lineup compares favorably to their only northern division rival. Even though Washington has Juan Soto and Trea Turner, the Nats still have their share of lineup holes. And, yes, the Marlins were vastly improved last season, but it’s still fair to wonder if they can sustain their success over 162 games.

With Realmuto, the Phillies are at least back in the conversation about being a playoff team in 2021, especially if the format is expanded again. That issue is still on the negotiating table, but if you shoot the objecting players union with truth serum, the majority will tell you that they want both more playoff teams and a universal designated hitter. They just want those things on their own financial terms.

While we’re on the subject of money, the signing of Realmuto pushed the Phillies’ 2021 payroll to right around $171 million, according to RosterResource.com. The team was anticipating a pandemic-related cut in payroll, but the current number needs to be stretched some more if the Phillies are going to compete with the Braves and Mets for the division title.

Two desirable free-agent alternatives at shortstop— Andrelton Simmons and Marcus Semien — were signed Tuesday, but Didi Gregorius remains the best solution for the Phillies.

» READ MORE: Phillies sign veteran pitcher Ivan Nova to minor-league contract

At least one more starting pitcher and another reliever or two need to be added as well. The list of free-agent starting pitchers is intriguing even at this late stage of the offseason. James Paxton, for instance, had a 6.64 ERA in five starts before suffering a flexor strain that ended his 2021 season. In seven seasons and 131 starts before that, he had a 3.50 ERA and 803 strikeouts in 733 innings. Did we mention he’s a lefty? How nice would it be to see a quality lefty in the Phillies’ rotation again?

It hasn’t happened since Cole Hamels left town. Hamels, by the way, is still out there, too. After making just one disastrous start for Atlanta last season, Hamels will see the price to sign him at a lot less than the $18 million it cost the Braves to sign him last offseason. They were fortunate that they only had to pay him $4.4 million because of the pandemic.

The best Hamels 2021 story would be the one where he makes a successful return to Philadelphia, but there are also plenty of other arms in the free-agent sea that might be able to help the Phillies.

New team president Dave Dombrowski did what he had to do Tuesday by bringing back J.T. Realmuto. Now, there is more work to be done.