The Philadelphia Phillies and J.T. Realmuto agreed to a 5-year, $115.5 million contract on Tuesday. The soon to be 30-year-old backstop is now the highest-paid catcher in MLB history based on average annual value, breaking the record of Joe Mauer’s contract at $23.1 million per year. Realmuto’s return is crucial to the Phillies being competitive in the very strong NL East division as his two-way play was vital to the pitching staff as well as the lineup. With their All-Star catcher returning, what does Realmuto’s return mean for the Phillies in 2021?
Where do the Phillies fit in the NL East?
The 2021 NL East will be the best division in recent memory. The Atlanta Braves have won three straight division titles and were one game away from the World Series last season. The Miami Marlins made the playoffs and won their NL Wild Card Series last season and have an exciting young core. New owner Steve Cohen and the New York Mets have been the biggest spenders of the offseason Francisco Lindor, Carlos Carrasco, and James McCann among others. The Washington Nationals struggled in 2020 but were World Series Champions in 2019 and have an extremely talented roster including superstar Juan Soto.
With all that talent in the NL East, where do the Phillies fit into the equation? With J.T. Realmuto, the Phillies have fulfilled the wishes of superstar Bryce Harper and newly signed reliever Archie Bradley.
Too soon? #SignJT ?♂️ ? pic.twitter.com/ILeDzCwab4
— Archie Bradley (@ArchieBradley7) January 19, 2021
Led by Harper and Realmuto, the Phillies had one of the best offenses in the league in 2020. Their downfall was their horrendous bullpen, which registered a 7.06 ERA, one of the worst ever for a bullpen. While Realmuto does not pitch, his presence helps the pitchers. With the addition of Bradley as well as expected positive regression from the rest of the bullpen, the Phillies should have an improved relief corps.
Something that should not go overlooked in the Realmuto signing is the influence of Dave Dombrowski. When he was hired in December, everyone knew his reputation for winning and how it would affect the Phillies offseason plans. Dombrowski’s hiring signaled ownership’s willingness to spend and desire to contend. The signing of J.T. Realmuto Tuesday confirmed that. The Phillies want to contend, and J.T. Realmuto will help them do just that.
