The Philadelphia Phillies are trying to work out a contract extension with catcher J.T. Realmuto, according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
However, Salisbury notes that a new deal for Realmuto may take some time to complete, stating that an extension might not get done until spring training. He adds that the Phillies “very much want to prevent” Realmuto from hitting free agency next offseason.
The good news is that the backstop seems happy in Philadelphia:
“Everything I’ve experienced in Philadelphia has been awesome so I wouldn’t be opposed to spending the rest of my career there,” Realmuto said back in July.
Realmuto is coming off a 2019 campaign in which he slashed .275/.328/.493 with 25 home runs, 36 doubles and 83 RBI in 593 plate appearances en route to an All-Star appearance.
Philadelphia acquired the 28-year-old in a trade with the Miami Marlins last February.
Realmuto was originally selected by the Marlins in the third round of the 2010 MLB Draft.
He made his big-league debut in 2014, playing in 11 games. The following season, Realmuto became Miami's full-time starting catcher, slashing .259/.290/.406 with 10 long balls and 47 RBI across 467 trips to the dish.
The Del City, Ok. native then showed significant improvement in 2015, slashing .303/.343/.428 with 11 dingers and 48 RBI through 545 plate appearances.
From that point moving forward, Realmuto stamped his name among the best catchers in baseball, not just because of his offense, but also because he has consistently been one of the best defensive backtops in the game.
Realmuto has made two All-Star teams and owns a lifetime slash line of .278/.327/.452.
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