Categories: News

Phillies reportedly haven’t initiated talks with J.T. Realmuto since spring training shutdown

The Philadelphia Phillies and J.T. Realmuto are at a bit of strange place in regards to contract discussions.

According to Rob Maaddi of The Associated Press, Realmuto is willing to talk with the Phillies about a contract extension during the season, though the team hasn’t begun those conversations:

Back in March, Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Realmuto’s camp was targeting an extension similar to the five-year/$130 million deal that the St. Louis Cardinals signed Paul Goldschmidt to last March. 

When asked before the season started if he was willing to negotiate a new deal during the season, Realmuto told the collective media, including Phillies Nation’s Tim Kelly, that he was focusing on the season.

“To be honest, I’m focused on the season at this point,” Realmuto said. “There’s no telling what’s going to happen. Nothing has happened thus far, so all I can do is go out and focus on the season and try to make this team as good as I can and help this team win ballgames.”

J.T. Realmuto is in his second season with the Phillies. (Ian D’Andrea)

Realmuto’s teammates, including Bryce Harper, have been vocal about their teammate’s situation.

“I think he’s a great player and a great individual that we need in our clubhouse as a leader and as a person,” Harper told the collective media, including Phillies Nation’s Destiny Lugardo, back on July 23. “Hopefully, we can get that deal done and he can be in pinstripes for the rest of his career.”

Harper, who has the third-largest contract in MLB history, knows re-signing Realmuto is important for the entire organization.

“I just think he’d help us as an organization,” Harper said. “And that’s it, plain and simple. I think (Matt) Klentak knows that. I think John (Middleton) knows that. I think a lot of guys in this organization know that. I just want to be able to set this organization up in the long-term and try to win as many games to get back to the good days of ’08 and ’09 and winning a World Series.”

Realmuto, 29, is hitting .306/.359/.722 with five home runs and 12 RBIs in 10 games. Since the Phillies resumed play last Monday against the Yankees, Realmuto is 9-for-26 with four home runs, eight RBIs and eight runs scored. That is a slashline of .391/.462/.913:

It still seems hard to imagine the Phillies letting Realmuto leave in free agency, though things do appear to be trending towards the club letting him test free agency. Perhaps no team will meet his asking price, leaving the Phillies to come through and re-sign him. However, it would only take one suitor with a lucrative offer to potentially woo Realmuto away…

MORE FROM PHILLIES NATION

  1. 4 Phillies Ranked In MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects
  2. Remembering Bart Braun, Whose Fingerprints Are On Everyone In The Phillies Organization
  3. Phillies’ 2020 Walk-Up Songs
  4. Joe Girardi Favors Postseason Expansion In Short And Long Term
  5. Phillies Announce That Seranthony Dominguez Had Successful Tommy John Surgery
  6. Even In Loss, Spencer Howard Shows Promise In Debut With Phillies
  7. Scott Kingery Off To Slow Start In 2020
  8. Jake Arrieta Says Phillies Are Trying To Follow ‘Exceptional’ Lead Of Joe Girardi
  9. Former Top Prospect Domonic Brown Returns To Reading, This Time As Youth Coach
  10. Keith Law Discusses State Of Phillies Farm System
Share
John Leuzzi

A lifelong Philly sports fan, John is a summer intern at Phillies Nation for the 2020 season. John is a native of Mount Laurel, New Jersey and currently attends Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At Marquette, John is the Assistant Sports Editor and covers women's basketball, lacrosse and soccer. His all-time favorite Phillie is Roy Halladay.

Get throwback Phillies styles from Shibe Vintage Sports in Center City Philly