The Philadelphia Phillies took a tough blow when Bo Bichette chose the New York Mets over them. Even with momentum on their side, the Phillies couldn’t close the deal.
They quickly shifted focus to J.T. Realmuto, handing the veteran catcher a three-year extension worth $45 million. It felt pricey at the time and only weeks later, the deal is looking even more questionable.
According to MLB Network’s The Shredder rankings on MLB Now, Realmuto didn’t crack the list of the league’s top 10 catchers. Even more concerning, among those ranked, only one player earns as much or more annually than the 35-year-old backstop. That makes the Phillies’ commitment stand out in a bad way.
Realmuto’s $45M contract already looks like an overpay
The top 10 catchers heading into 2026, per The Shredder, are Cal Raleigh, William Contreras, Will Smith, Drake Baldwin, Alejandro Kirk, Gabriel Moreno, Yainer Diaz, Sean Murphy, Ivan Herrera, and Shea Langeliers.
Of that group, only Raleigh matches or exceeds Realmuto’s average annual value, earning $17.5 million per season as arguably the best catcher in baseball. Realmuto’s $15 million AAV is higher than every other catcher on the list.
Committing that level of money to a player who doesn’t rank among the top at his position is a risky use of payroll. Realmuto has shown signs of decline both offensively and defensively. While his leadership and game-calling still carry value, those intangibles may not justify such a steep salary at this stage of his career.
Realmuto will be 35 when the season begins. Even if he continues to provide decent production, a three-year deal at $15 million per season feels excessive for a catcher entering the latter phase of his career.
The length of the contract makes matters worse. This isn’t a short-term gamble it runs through his age-38 season. By the final year, the Phillies could find themselves dealing with another burdensome contract, similar to their situations with Taijuan Walker and Nick Castellanos.
With Realmuto outside the top-10 at his position yet earning the second-highest annual salary among catchers, the numbers and rankings together paint this extension as a move that could age poorly for Philadelphia.
Leave a Reply