MLB Rumors: Breaking Down JT Realmuto's Contract Talks with Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies and catcher J.T. Realmuto have mutually agreed to hit pause on contract negotiations, general manager Matt Klentak said Tuesday per Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The decision came after MLB announced the cancellation of spring training and delay of Opening Day "by at least two weeks" in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

The league provided an update on Monday stating that it plans to abide by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation for gatherings of 50 or more people to be either cancelled or postponed over the next eight weeks.

That gives plenty of time for speculation to keep building around Realmuto.

The two-time All-Star lost his arbitration case with the Phillies in late February, which meant his 2020 salary was set by Philly at $10 million instead of Realmuto's requested $12.4 million. If the two sides can't come to an agreement on a long-term extension, he can become an unrestricted free agent in 2021.

Lauber provided insight into what it could take for the Phillies to secure Realmuto: "His representatives are believed to be using Joe Mauer's catcher-record $23 million average annual salary as a baseline in extension talks. One source suggested Realmuto's camp is targeting St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt’s five-year, $130 million extension last year."

MLB Network's Jon Heyman mentioned Goldschmidt's as "a talking point for Realmuto's camp" and also reported that the Gold Glover's agents want to best San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey's eight-year, $159 million extension while appearing on the Big Time Baseball podcast last week (h/t Rotoworld).

Posey signed that deal in March 2013. He was younger than Realmuto at the time (entering his aged-26 season) and coming off of an All-Star 2012 campaign that saw him lead MLB with a .336 batting average and a career-high 24 home runs. Behind the plate in '12, Posey caught a career-high 38 runners trying to steal.

Realmuto turned 29 on Wednesday. Last season, his first year in Philadelphia after the Miami Marlins traded him there in February 2019, the Oklahoma native hit a career-most 25 home runs on a .275/.328/.493 slash line across 145 games. He started 130 games at catcher, earning his first Gold Glove.