The Phillies made a five year offer worth “slightly” more than $ 100 million to the free agent catcher JT Realmuto, according The Athletic’s Jayson Stark. It is the second offer of this type that the team has made to Realmuto since last spring, for USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, who adds that there is “a wave of optimism” that Philadelphia will re-sign the All-Star twice.
Realmuto, 29, spent the previous two seasons in Philadelphia, where the former Marlin continued his run as the first championship catcher. Realmuto made it clear during these two years that he wanted to remain a Phillie for a long time, so it is not surprising that the team is making a big effort to keep him. The Phillies “started to position themselves as favorites” in the Realmuto classic, Stark writes, in part because other potential suitors seem to be disappearing.
Mets, who looked like one of the main candidates for Realmuto when the off-season started, signed James McCann rather than. The Yankees are probably not in the mix after agreeing to re-sign the second baseman DJ LeMahieu for $ 90MM and retainer Gary Sanchez. Angels may not be involved after agreeing to sign veteran support Kurt Suzuki on Friday, while Stark notes that the Rangers “seem unlikely” to hand out a nine-digit contract at this point. Astros appear to be suitable for Realmuto, but as a recipient of a qualifying offer, signing Realmuto would require giving up draft choices and they are hesitant to do so. The Nationals showed interest in Realmuto, although it is not known if they are willing to distribute $ 100 million or more in this case.
The Realmuto draw could end up falling for the Phillies and Blue Jays, who have been on practically every star this winter. However, by Stark and Jon Heyman of MLB Network, Toronto’s main focus appears to be the free agent outfielder George Springer. The Jays regard the central field as a greater need than the catcher, which is why they are making a greater effort for Springer.