Aug 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto salutes the bullpen after hitting a two-run home run against the Atlanta Braves at Citizens Bank Park. (Grace Del Pizzo/On Pattison)
During an appearance on MLB Network Wednesday, Jon Heyman said that the Phillies have made J.T. Realmuto a three-year contract offer.
As part of a larger answer on Bo Bichette, here's what Heyman said of Realmuto:
"They've been kind of in a stare down with J.T. Realmuto for quite a while. They've offered him a three-year deal. Obviously, it's not exactly what he wants. I think he wants a little more ... I don't know, maybe closer to $15 million. I'm not sure exactly where they are."
Jon Heyman on Bo Bichette and the Phillies:
“It seems like there’s some momentum there to get [a deal done].” pic.twitter.com/X9H4g1b9st
It's unclear when this three-year offer was made to Realmuto. We also don't know whether the offer is still on the table or not now that the Phillies are pursuing Bo Bichette, whom they met with virtually Monday.
When asked by Lauren Shehadi whether the Phillies would have to pick between Bichette and Realmuto, Heyman responded by saying "I don't want to say that. I've heard that it's probable that they probably would have to go to a lesser catcher." After explaining how the Phillies would also likely need to trade Alec Bohm if they signed Bichette, Heyman circled back to Realmuto: "They could go for a lesser catcher, although I don't think they particularly want to."
There is — as the Phillies have seemingly emerged as a (or the?) favorite for Bichette — a lot going on here. From the perspective of Realmuto, a deal in the range of $15 million per season over three years ($45 million total) did seem plausible at the outset of the offseason. But there's just not any evidence that his market has developed that way. There isn't another obvious suitor for him pushing the Phillies. So if he, entering his age-35 season, has, let's say, a three-year/$36 million offer out there from the Phillies, he would be wise to take it. Frankly, he probably should have taken it the second the Phillies began to be linked to Bichette. If there was another team offering him three years, we would know about it. Heck, it's fair to wonder if another club has offered Realmuto a two-year deal yet.
If the Phillies did indeed offer Realmuto a three-year deal earlier this offseason, he may have overplayed his hand in not taking it. Realmuto is immensely respected within the Phillies organization, and it is difficult to quantify how much value he brings in helping pitchers prepare for their starts. Zack Wheeler, Jesús Luzardo, Aaron Nola ... go down the list, they've all raved about working with Realmuto. Still, he's a mid-30s catcher that posted a .700 OPS last season. There is a ceiling on how much you're going to offer someone with that profile.
