When Major League Baseball hit the "pause" button back on March 12, it was not just Spring Training that stopped. During the shutdown there was a transaction freeze that did not allow for teams to make any type of deal, including negotiating with their own players. That included catcher J.T. Realmuto, whom the Phillies were looking to extend prior to the shutdown. But the Phillies could return with some good news.
On Wednesday night's NBC Sports Philadelphia special, "Return to Play", Jim Salisbury reported some good news on the Realmuto extension front. NBC Sports Philadelphia senior producer Sean Kane broke it down on Twitter for those who missed it:
On our ‘Phillies Return to Play’ show, @JSalisburyNBCS said the Phillies are willing to pay J.T. Realmuto more than $23M per year over a 4-6 year contract. I’d think that type of offer would lead to an agreement. Transaction freeze ends Friday. Deal could come together quickly.
— Sean Kane (@SKaneNBCS) June 25, 2020
With the Phillies hitting those numbers, I would think that the deal would come together quickly.
Players to compare include catcher-turned-first baseman Joe Mauer with the Minnesota Twins, who signed an eight-year, $184 million deal in 2010. Though that set the record for a catcher of $23 million, the eight years proved to be a cautionary tale as Mauer did not stay at the catching position. San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey received eight years as well, though at an average salary of $19.875 million per season.
Realmuto turned 29 years old in March, so a deal of five years would take him through his age 34 season. With the wear and tear at the catching position it does come with some risk. But should the National League stick with the designated hitter, the risk could be minimized.
