The Philadelphia Phillies went through the toughest day of the offseason last week after losing out on shortstop Bo Bichette. The Phillies took their shot in the free agent market after contract talks stalled with catcher J.T. Realmuto. The New York Mets shocked everyone by offering a three-year, $126 million deal, stealing Bichette from the Phillies and their seven-year, $200 million offer.
To no Phillies fan's surprise, the club pivoted immediately and re-signed their veteran catcher to a three-year, $45 million contract. The contract also includes $5 million in annual incentives, maxing out at a possible $60 million. There were a lot of emotions to work through after the fallout of missing on Bichette, much of it was visceral.
MLB Network offers positive take on J.T. Realmuto's return to Phillies
Phillies fans, for the most part, were not happy about the turn of events. Going from the confidence of being the favorite for Bichette to losing him to the Mets, of all teams, was bad enough. Learning that Philadelphia had offered him what he wanted before being rejected and then seeing the Phillies pivot back to Realmuto wasn't the big move many had in mind.
With emotions more settled, it's easier to see that Realmuto's return is a positive one for the club moving forward.
Realmuto returning wasn't shocking, but the way it played out was certainly unpredictable. MLB Network analyst and former MLB catcher Anthony Recker had some positive takes on Realmuto's return and the importance he still has for the Phillies.
“A guy like Realmuto, who has really led that pitching staff, we know how good they are, how good they've been, that starting rotation, what they've had to make out of a makeshift bullpen at times, a lot of that credit goes to a guy like J.T. Realmuto,” Recker said. “He's a leader. Is he the offensive force he was, you know, maybe five, ten years ago? Not necessarily. But, look, he's still very athletic. He always has been. He's aged very well. I think this is a guy you want to keep around for that leadership. Honestly, happy to pay that money for a guy like him by the plate.”
.@Anthony_Recker and @RoFlo discuss the impact J.T. Realmuto has on the Phillies' pitching staff, after reportedly agreeing to return to Philadelphia on a 3-year deal. https://t.co/WbD7lXQ9Xr pic.twitter.com/u5RfY3eht8
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 16, 2026
Realmuto has been a leader in the Phillies' clubhouse since he was traded back in 2019. During the waiting period, the Phillies were looking elsewhere at the catcher position. The problem they would have run into is that anyone else behind the plate would have been a step back.
“He just has that experience, the ability to be calm in all situations, think things through properly, and it manifests because those situations don't speed up on him,” Recker said. “Which allows your pitching staff and everybody else on the field, really, even your manager, to feel more comfortable about what's out there on the mound.”
Realmuto's offense did decline in 2025 with a .699 OPS, the worst of his career. It wasn't the greatest stepping-off point for Realmuto re-entering free agency, but the Phillies were limited in their options to replace still one of MLB's best catchers.
Realmuto will be 35 in March. He may not be the Realmuto of old, but he still holds the clubhouse together, leading the pitching staff with more innings than any other catcher in baseball.