Now just over month into the 2025 season, the Philadelphia Phillies have begun their journey toward what will hopefully be a season that ends with a long postseason run to the World Series.
While everyone's focused on the rocky rollercoaster of a start the Phillies have had this season, we're already looking ahead to the offseason. Many fans were hoping that the Phillies would have announced some contract extensions this spring, with catcher J.T. Realmuto and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber topping the list.
Unfortunately, the Phillies were unable to come to an agreement with their key veterans heading into contract years. While we can always hold out hope, it's unlikely that will change during the season, especially after the last update we got on Schwarber didn’t sound promising. Despite having mutual interest in an extension, Realmuto was also unable to find common ground with the team this spring.
Phillies will still be paying J.T. Realmuto deferred money after 2025
The veteran backstop is integral to this current Phillies’ championship-contending window. It’s uncertain whether he’ll be back in red pinstripes in 2026, but either way, the Phillies will be paying the 34-year-old for another two years thanks to some owed deferred money.
We’re not talking about the kind of deferrals that made headlines the past two offseasons thanks to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ ridiculous spending spree and unprecedented deferrals, per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN, but Realmuto's deferred salary is still money that will be on the Phillies' books.
Now in the final year of a five-year, $115.5 million contract, Realmuto is the fifth-highest paid Phillies player this season with a $23.1 million AAV salary. Once the contract is up at the end of the season, the Phillies will pay Realmuto $5 million for each of the next two years in 2026 and 2027. Luckily, it’s not an amount that should hamstring the front office’s navigation of the luxury tax thresholds.
The three-time All-Star played 99 games in 2024 thanks to a knee injury. It marked the first time Realmuto had played fewer than 134 games since joining the Phillies — not counting the shortened 2020 season. He still hit .266 with a .751 OPS last year, but his counting stats took a hit thanks to his missed games.
Realmuto got off to a slow start at the plate, slashing .214/.313/.321 with one home run and six RBIs through the first three weeks of the season. But since April 18, heading into Tuesday, the veteran backstop is batting .283/.309/.472 and now has three home runs and 12 RBIs on the year. If Realmuto stays healthy this season, we could see him reach the 20-home run mark for the third time as a Phillie. Even better, he has shown a propensity to run again, with four steals in four attempts.
There's no denying Realmuto is a workhorse, and while it's improbable that he'll ever repeat his 6.7 fWAR 2022 season that garnered him MVP votes, he's still an invaluable piece to this Phillies team considering how he handles the pitching staff. Even though there's a contingent of Phillies fans who are ready to move on from the veteran backstop, the Phillies don't have an obvious internal replacement at this time.
So, while there's a chance Realmuto will play his final game with the Phillies in 2025, the Phillies would be more than happy to pay Realmuto more than the scheduled $5 million deferred salary for another couple years of service — assuming the price is right.