Phillies make big new offer to J.T. Realmuto?

It’s been unclear if the Philadelphia Phillies will be pushing to retain catcher J.T. Realmuto, but a report indicates that he is still very much in play there.

According to Jayson Stark of The Athletic, the Phillies have made Realmuto a new offer for five years and more than $100 million. The offer is similar to what the Phillies had on the table last March. Due to the pandemic, however, efforts to get Realmuto signed long-term froze at that point.

Realmuto is an elite catcher and is expecting a big contract. He is a career .278 hitter, and he hit 11 home runs in 47 games for Philadelphia in 2020. He turns 30 in March.

One Phillies star will be very unhappy if Realmuto is allowed to walk. Perhaps that factors into the Phillies' thinking as they increase their offer and appear serious about retaining the catcher.