Shortly after the team’s season ended, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski revealed that the veteran catcher. JT Realmuto may see less time behind the plate in 2025 and beyond. At the time it was unclear what the details of that arrangement would look like, but Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer recently discussed the team’s plans for Realmuto, reporting that manager Rob Thomson suggested this week that Realmuto’s performance could improve if. you get an extra day off per week during the season.
While Realmuto played in just 99 games this season after undergoing knee surgery back in June, he averaged 135 games per year from 2015 to 2023, excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. While the soon-to-be 34-year-old has found some time at DH and even first base throughout his career, most of his work has come behind the plate. That means he typically sits just once a week during his tenure behind the plate, a lot for any shortstop. Switching to a schedule that sees him play something closer to five games a week with an extra day off would still leave Realmuto playing around 115 games a year, a feat similar to that of a Yankees rookie. Austin Wells and small cubs Miguel Amaya in 2024.
While 115 games a year won’t light up catchers’ boards in terms of volume, it’s important to note that most catchers who salvage playing time for a true everyday player see significant time at DH, first base, or elsewhere on the diamond. Salvador Perezfor example, it hit the Royals in 158 games this year but was behind the plate in only 90 of those games. 115 games held in 2024 would be the eighth highest total and just 16 games behind. Raleighwho led the league in catches with 131 games.
Lauber points to Perez as an example of how relegating defensive duties behind the plate can help aging pitchers stay productive on offense. From 2015 to 2018, Perez hit just .252/.284/.448 (91 wRC+) while serving as the everyday catcher in Kansas City. After injury problems ended his 2019 season, Perez began to decrease his time behind the plate and hit .264/.309/.474 (109 wRC+) over the past four seasons. Given that Realmuto is a 110 wRC+ hitter who has slashed .264/.325/.455 (114 wRC+) over the past three seasons, it’s easy to imagine that Realmuto’s bat is among the most impactful for his position in the game if he winds down his career. of holding.
That being said, Lauber notes that the Phillies have not approached Realmuto about the possibility of carefully managing his career through 2025. It is not the only thing the parties did not discuss; According to Lauber, the Phillies have yet to contact Realmuto about an extension even though he is set to hit free agency after the 2025 season. That said, Lauber suggests an extension could be discussed later in the offseason or at some point during Spring Training. It was just last winter, after all, that the Phillies played slow in their extension negotiations with the veteran ace. Zack Wheeler despite the clear interest in the agreement on both sides. That deal happened in early March after months of rumors about possible extension talks.
Lauber speculates that a similar deal to the one Wheeler signed, which guaranteed him just three years in the AAV record, would make sense for both sides if the Phillies and Realmuto wanted an extension. Fishermen are a risky long-term investment because of the capital gains from the condition, and given that a long-term deal in particular seems unlikely. Even a three-year extension would guarantee Realmuto a contract at the end of his age-37 season, which would be risky for Philadelphia given the 35-year-old. Travis d’Arnaud he is the only catcher to achieve 300 plate appearances at age 35 or older behind the plate this season. That being said, next year’s free agent catcher class will be relatively small with the Phillies in-house. Garrett Stubbs again Rafael Marchan inspires less confidence than veterans, which could convince the club to roll the dice with Realmuto as he matures.
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