ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF ESPN 98.1 FM / 850 AM WRUF
Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto has re-signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. He inks a five year, $115.5 million deal, and becomes the highest-paid catcher ever in terms of annual salary. Playing at a position that is notorious for underpaid contracts, Realmuto made sure that his contract would be a step in the right direction for catchers to come.
Why Realmuto Resigned
Despite the monetary value of what the Phillies offered him, they also offered him a fanbase that stuck with him. After going to Philadelphia in February 2019, Realmuto played in the 2019 All-Star Game. Since arriving, the fans at Citizens Bank Park supported him; he wants to keep playing in front of them.
The Philadelphia catcher has two children of his own, and he has discussed wanting to raise them in Philadelphia before. Now that he secured his record-setting deal, he will be able to raise his family there for the foreseeable future. Realmuto is still only 29 years old, so will play in “the city of brotherly love” for the foreseeable future.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the offseason for the MLB was less active than usual. The slow offseason was even slower because of another absence from the playoffs for Philadelphia. Despite this, Realmuto connected with Phillies management and make sure that he finalized a deal between the two parties.
Looking Ahead for Phillies
Despite the high dollar-amount, the Phillies catcher wants to see higher levels of success. The Phillies went 28-32 in 2020, four games below .500. The Phillies haven’t gone to the playoffs since 2011, so Realmuto wants to put a winning team on the field for the fans.
As of now, spring training for the MLB will be starting on time. Realmuto and the Phillies will be prepared with this in mind but will be ready to make adjustments if needed.
