The Philadelphia Phillies faced disappointment after losing out on star shortstop Bo Bichette, who ultimately chose to sign with the New York Mets. After missing that major target, the Phillies quickly shifted their focus and signed veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto to a three-year contract extension worth $45 million. While the deal initially appeared to stabilize the team’s roster, recent evaluations suggest it may already be raising concerns.
Criticism intensified after MLB Network’s analytical segment The Shredder released its ranking of the top 10 catchers heading into 2026, a list that surprisingly excluded Realmuto. The ranking featured players such as Cal Raleigh, William Contreras, Will Smith, Drake Baldwin, Alejandro Kirk, Gabriel Moreno, Yanier Diaz, Sean Murphy, Ivan Herrera, and Shea Langeliers. Among those players, only Raleigh earns an annual salary comparable to Realmuto, with Raleigh receiving $17.5 million per year, slightly above Realmuto’s $15 million average annual value.
The disparity between Realmuto’s salary and his omission from the elite catcher rankings has fueled concerns that Philadelphia may be overpaying. Observers have noted signs of decline in both his defensive performance and offensive production. Although Realmuto remains respected for his leadership and ability to manage pitchers—qualities that are often difficult to measure—critics argue that those intangibles may not justify the high financial commitment at this stage of his career.
Realmuto will be 35 years old at the beginning of the upcoming season, and while he has remained productive in recent years, the length of the deal has drawn additional scrutiny. The three-year contract keeps him with the Phillies through his age-38 season, raising questions about long-term value as performance typically declines with age.
Some analysts believe the agreement could eventually place Philadelphia in a difficult financial position similar to past contracts involving players like Taijuan Walker and Nick Castellanos, where high salaries became challenging to justify relative to on-field performance. The Shredder’s rankings, combined with Realmuto’s salary standing among catchers, have further intensified debate about whether the Phillies made a costly miscalculation with the extension.
