J.T. Realmuto, Phillies Reportedly Agree to New Contract After Bo Bichette to Mets

J.T. Realmuto and the Philadelphia Phillies are headed toward a reunion.

According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, Realmuto and the Phillies are agreed to terms on a new contract shortly after Bo Bichette committed to the New York Mets.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the deal is worth $45 million over three years.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Matt Gelb first reported a deal was close.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has largely been focused on maintaining continuity with the roster. In addition to the impending deal with Realmuto, he was able to bring Kyle Schwarber back in free agency on a five-year, $150 million contract.

Realmuto's future in Philadelphia seemed uncertain this offseason both because of his age and other key free agents the club seemed likely to prioritize, led by Kyle Schwarber and Ranger Suárez.

There has been a notable decline in Realmuto's offensive profile recently. He had his lowest OPS+ (91) since his first full season in 2015. His bat speed dropped by more than one mile per hour and his barrel percentage was down 1.5 points from 2024, per Baseball Savant.

While the drop in offense was an issue, Realmuto still brings good value because he's terrific behind the plate. He ranked in the 100th percentile in pop time and 94th percentile in caught stealing above average rate.

Even this version of Realmuto who is slightly below-average as a hitter will still be worth 2-3 wins above replacement because of his defense.

Realmuto, who will turn 35 on March 18, is also very durable for a catcher. He has appeared in at least 130 games in seven of the past 10 seasons.

The Phillies will continue to rely on Realmuto to help guide their pitching staff in the way he has over the past seven seasons. He will also provide a decent batting average and some pop at a position where the offensive bar is very low.

For a Phillies team that is still in the middle of a contention window with this current core, keeping Realmuto allows them to maintain continuity at a critical position with the NL East likely to be more competitive in 2026 if the Atlanta Braves return to form after a down season.