The long wintertime staring contest between J.T. Realmuto and the Philadelphia Phillies is finally over.
Realmuto, the three-time All-Star catcher and highly respected handler of the Phillies’ pitching staff, agreed to terms on a three-year, $45 million contract Jan. 16, according to a person with direct knowledge of the agreement.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal, first reported by The Athletic, has not yet been finalized.
Realmuto turns 35 in March and while he has been worth between 2.5 and 6.5 WAR in the six full seasons since the Phillies acquired him in 2019, his advancing age gave the club some pause entering the offseason. Multiple reports indicated the club preferred a two-year term and while both desired a reunion, the team scheduled a Zoom meeting with free agent infielder Bo Bichette on Jan. 12.
Acquiring Bichette would have all but ensured Realmuto’s exit, but Bichette reached agreement with the New York Mets earlier in the day, and Realmuto’s agreement with the Phillies – which includes incentives worth up to $5 million per season – came together shortly thereafter.
Realmuto was acquired from Miami before the 2019 season and led the major leagues in games caught in 2022, 2023 and 2025. Despite that workload he has largely produced well above league average offensively, with his finest season coming in 2022, when he hit 22 homers with an .870 OPS and a 130 adjusted OPS.
But that mark dwindled to 91 this past season when he hit a career-low 12 homers in 133 games.