Phillies brass ‘doing everything they can’ for J.T. Realmuto

The Major League Baseball offseason seems to have picked up in recent days, meaning the hot stove regarding rumors of the Philadelphia Phillies potentially re-signing J.T. Realmuto are likewise picking up steam. Recent bullpen signee Archie Bradley campaigning on social media for the organization to bring back the star catcher has only sparked those conversations.

The Phillies are on the ‘same page’ as Archie Bradley and Bryce Harper.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters on Monday that he does not feel any extra pressure from Archie’s comments, nor that from Bryce Harper throughout most of the 2020 season.

“I think everybody knows that you’d like to bring him back,” Dombrowski said. “That’s not a secret, so no. I don’t feel any extra pressure in that regard. We want to do everything we can to make our club better. You do what you possibly can. I think we’ve expressed our desires in doing so, so we’ll do our best in that regard. … I don’t blame them. We feel the same way as [Bradley and Harper] do so. We’re all on the same page.”

Joe Girardi says Phillies ownership is committed to try to re-sign J.T. Realmuto.

Tuesday on MLB Network’s High Heat, Phillies manager Joe Girardi said that he thinks Managing Partner John Middleton, the Buck Family, and Dombrowski are “doing everything they can” to bring Realmuto back.

“J.T. is a special talent. We all know that. Every club would love to have a guy like J.T,” Girardi added. “There’s nothing that he doesn’t do. He hits for power, he hits for average, he runs the bases, he throws runners out, he receives well, he blocks well. He’s a tremendous athlete.”

“We are doing everything we can to bring him back. We just have to see what happens.”

Last week, the Phillies reportedly offered Realmuto a five-year deal worth more than $100 million. When asked on Monday how contract talks are going, Dombrowski acknowledged that the team has talked to him, but that he does not like to get into negotiations publicly.

“It’s really something I’ve stayed away from throughout my career. I don’t really see much advantage in doing that,” Dombrowski said. “We do have interest and will continue to try to speak with him.”

Time will tell how the dominos fall and whether that offer will suffice and entice the catcher to return for a third season in red pinstripes.