Entering the offseason it felt like a given that the Phillies and catcher J.T. Realmuto would sign a long-term contract extension that would keep the best catcher in baseball in the City of Brotherly Love.
Then, COVID-19 hit and baseball was forced to shutdown indefinitely. With that shutdown comes no more roster moves and a pause in contract negotiations between the Phillies and Realmuto’s camp.
A contract for Realmuto is widely expected to surpass $100 million and push Joe Mauer’s average annual value of $23 million.
In recent offseasons there has been a slew of contract extensions signed in the final week of spring training.