Catcher JT Realmuto and the Philadelphia Phillies agree on a five-year, $ 115.5 million contract, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Realmuto, 29, remains one of the best versatile collectors in the major, reaching 0.266 with 11 homers and 32 RBIs with the Phillies during the shortened 2020 pandemic season. He did not accept a $ 18.9 million one-year qualification offer, but instead sought a long-term deal in the free agent market.
Since 2018, Realmuto has led all MLB collectors in WAR (10.1), RBIs (189) and stolen bases (16) and is second in attack percentage (0.489) and OPS (0.825). His 57 home runs during that period are in third place among MLB catchers.
Defensively, he has 11 races saved in the past two seasons, which ranks fourth among the catchers who have played more than 1,000 entries.
Realmuto reached 0.275 with 25 homers and 83 RBIs while winning his second consecutive All-Star selection in 2019, leading the National League with 43 runners eliminated in his first season in Philadelphia. It was acquired in February 2019 in a deal that sent catcher Jorge Alfaro, two throwing prospects and international signature bonus pool money to rebuild Miami Marlins.
Realmuto lost his arbitration case with the Phillies before last season and received an increase from $ 6.05 million to $ 10 million; he had asked for $ 12.4 million. He said he had no resentment for losing.
“I love this organization,” he said. “They have been great for me and my family since I showed up. From top to bottom, they are good people and they care about baseball. This is important to me.”
Realmuto, a .278 career hitter, was an All-Star for the first time in his fourth season in 2018 when he hit .277 and set career records with 21 homers, 74 RBIs and an .825 OPS.
News of the Realmuto deal was first reported by MLB reporter Craig Mish.