Phillies Pivot Immediately With Big Signing After Losing Out on Bichette

The Philadelphia Phillies were all in on free agent Bo Bichette. They were thought to be in good standing after a meeting with him on Monday, with all signs pointing towards a deal. But after losing him at the last minute to a rival team, GM Dave Dombrowski immediately pivoted and brought back their longtime catcher JT Realmuto.

Phillies, C J.T. Realmuto reportedly agree to 3-year deal, per multiple reports including @MLBNetwork insider @JonHeyman. pic.twitter.com/HSSRYxhBIe
— MLB (@MLB) January 16, 2026

While Bichette wasn't willing to wait around for his old team to come crawling back to him, Realmuto seemed all too willing to do so. But at his price. He'll take a three-year deal worth $45 million, which is the number he was reportedly holding out for.

Realmuto has been a team leader for the Phils for seven years, and while he doesn't pack the same power punch he used to, he's still a solid catcher.

But at the plate, his OPS has dipped in each of the last three seasons, and he was a below-average hitter (91 OPS+) for the first time last year since his rookie season with the Miami Marlins 11 years ago.

In 2025, Realmuto hit .257 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs with a .700 OPS. But he's still one of the few full-time catchers in baseball, even entering his age-35 season. He caught 132 games, which tied him for the major league lead.

He's a three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner. Over a 12-year career, he has a .270 career batting average with 180 homers and 677 RBIs .