Throughout this off-season, there was a legitimate concern, from team ownership to the fan base, about whether the Phillies would keep JT Realmuto.
But, judging by Realmuto’s comments on Monday, Phils dominated him.
“There was never a time when I felt that being back with the Phillies was not going to work,” said the All-Star receiver during a video conference to announce his rehiring with the club. “I knew that the process would proceed as it should and I am really happy that it worked the way it did.”
Bryce Harper was also happy.
The $ 330 million Phillies man spent the summer entertaining, but intentionally disrupting the team to re-sign his best friend in baseball. And before heading home to Las Vegas for the winter, Harper did not play the challenge, saying, “JT Realmuto needs to be our catcher next year – quite simply.”
When news of Realmuto’s new $ 115.5 million five-year contract began to spread last week, Harper texted his friend.
Come on, Read the text.
“With lots of exclamation points,” said Realmuto with a laugh.
The Realmuto contract is the largest free agent deal ever made for a Seeker, eclipsing Brian McCann’s five-year deal and $ 85 million with the Yankees in 2013 by 36 percent.
It’s not the biggest package ever for a catcher. In 2010, Joe Mauer signed a $ 184 million contract extension for eight years – keyword extension – with the twins.
The average annual value of Mauer’s record contract was $ 23 million and was an important number as it related to the free Realmuto agency.
For most of the year, as his free agency approached, Realmuto made it clear that he was trying to raise the level of catchers’ wages. A year ago, a $ 23 million AAV deal seemed like the starting point, as the game’s best receiver hit the free agent market. According to sources, Realmuto initially sought a deal worth more than $ 200 million, something that could carry an AAV of up to $ 30 million. Then the pandemic hit and the “scenario”, to use the word of former Phillies general manager Matt Klentak, changed due to falling revenue from the game. The Mets, who had money and a need for a catcher, went in a different direction and hired James McCann, and six weeks later Realmuto is back with the Phillies in a deal that brings in a record $ 23.1 million AAV, a lot of money for the rest of us schlubs, but only a modest $ 100,000 movement of the ball that Realmuto carried for all receivers.
Realmuto, a former high school football star in his home state of Oklahoma, agrees with this.
“To be honest, moving the market in that direction has not always been the most important thing for me,” he said. “Obviously, in my opinion, Seekers are a little bit devalued in baseball, either because long-term contracts didn’t really work out or because, in theory, we age faster, whatever it is. It’s a little more difficult for Seekers when they grow up and it is more difficult to get these long-term deals. And frankly, the average annual value is not as high as that of other top players in their positions, for whatever reason.
“I was happy not to let that come back, you know? I know Mauer hasn’t been able to do it for a long time. It’s a slightly different scenario for baseball. But I think that, after the pandemic, we’re very happy with the deal we made.”
Realmuto declined to respond if he received offers from other clubs, saying, “I will leave this for someone else to speak.”
Dave Dombrowski, who joined the organization as president of baseball operations in December, two months after Klentak was transferred to the organization, and his wife visited Realmuto and his wife in Oklahoma two days before Christmas. The old school bit of relationship building, the kind regularly practiced by Pat Gillick, resonated at Realmuto.
“It definitely helped,” said Realmuto. “We left that meeting, in the car on the way home, talking about how awesome Dave and his wife were. It was the first time that we were able to leave, in the off-season, and feel confident about what was happening. it looked like Philly would be a good place for us again. It just made a good impression on us.
“He told us that the organization is in a position to try to win. He mentioned that (managing partner John Middleton) said that he wanted this Phillies team to be one of the best ever. So it fell on my head It gave me the confidence that they want to go there and get to the postseason. “
Back in the off-season, it looked like Phils was about to tighten his belt. Property indicated as a lot. Now, in recent weeks, the team has made over $ 150 million in commitments to free agents Realmuto, Didi Gregorius, Archie Bradley and Matt Moore. And the team is still looking for a bargain or two on what’s left of the pitching market.
“I think a lot of that can be attributed to John Middleton and the Buck family, who were willing to come forward and do things to try to make us better as a baseball club,” said Dombrowski. “They are trying to allow us to put the best club possible on the pitch and also provide entertainment for our fans. So I think it is really a ownership decision that they have made.”
And the biggest decision was Realmuto.
Hey, Bryce, your son is back.
“We never wanted to be in a position where we would lose JT,” said Dombrowski. “And that was from the property, from (manager) Joe Girardi to the team members. Everyone was unanimous in that support. And, of course, you pay attention to the fans, there is a passion there, which is great. The teammates wanted to have it on board.
“We always, from each end, wanted to bring JT back.”
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