Give Dave Dombrowski credit on this front: he pivoted quickly. Immediately after the Philadelphia Phillies lost out on Bo Bichette to their NL East rivals, the New York Mets, they re-signed J.T. Realmuto to a three-year, $45 million deal, according to FanSided's Robert Murray.
Free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto and the Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement on a three-year, $45 million contract with a chance to get to $60 million, according to sources familiar with the deal.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) January 16, 2026
Getting something done after losing out on Bichette was important, but is this really enough to get them where they want to go? It's hard to answer that question with a resounding "yes."
J.T. Realmuto is not the player he once was
Not too long ago, Realmuto was considered one of the best catchers in the game. In 2026, that is not the case though. Don't get me wrong, he's still elite at controlling the running game and is an outstanding game-caller, but his offense is not what it once was. He slashed .257/.315/.384 with 12 home runs and 52 RBI in 2025, and he has a 100 OPS+ since the start of the 2023 campaign. He's fine, but he used to be an All-Star-caliber hitter in addition to his plus defense behind the dish.
It's not as if this is Realmuto's fault. He's 35 years old and has caught over 1,200 games in his 12-year career. It's impressive he's as good a player as he is at this stage of his career. Still, he's declining, and as he ages into his late 30s, he should only decline.
The worst part about this deal is that it doesn't make the Phillies any better in 2026.
Phillies appear set on running it back after re-signing J.T. Realmuto
Realmuto is a substantial upgrade over the likes of Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs, who were next up on the depth chart behind the plate, but he's also been a starting catcher in Philadelphia for six seasons while winning a grand total of zero World Series titles. This isn't his fault, obviously, but the Phillies are making little effort to change anything from a formula that just has not worked.
The biggest move they've made this offseason saw them re-sign Kyle Schwarber. The Realmuto signing is their second-biggest move. Sure, you can argue that Adolis Garcia and Brad Keller are a bit better than Max Kepler and Matt Strahm, respectively, but they aren't exactly needle movers. They didn't even make a major change on the coaching staff other than making Don Mattingly the bench coach. Oh yeah, Ranger Suarez is gone, too.
The Phillies' roster doesn't look any different from the ones that consistently fall short in October, and re-signing Realmuto immediately after losing Bichette doesn't give anyone from that fan base hope that a major addition is coming. This should change.
Phillies must make a massive external addition for fans to take them seriously
The Phillies consistently come up short offensively in the postseason, which is what made Bichette such a good fit for them. Why should they be taken seriously without a major offensive addition? For them to get back in the World Series conversation with the Los Angeles Dodgers (who keep getting better), they must get aggressive.
Might this mean Cody Bellinger? It most certainly won't, but he'd obviously be a major upgrade over Brandon Marsh in left field. Maybe the Phillies can trade for Jarren Duran to play left field. Could a trade for Brendan Donovan to play in the middle infield be had?
The Phillies cannot stand idly by, but with players flying off the board, it's feeling like they're going to run back this team that consistently falls short in the postseason.
Phillies haven't made any ground on NL rivals
Again, Realmuto is an upgrade over what they had, but running it back won't lead to better results, especially with this team being on the older side. How do they compare to their NL rivals?
The Dodgers signed Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz after discarding the Phillies in the NLDS and winning the World Series. The Milwaukee Brewers haven't done anything of note, but Brandon Woodruff could be healthy this upcoming postseason, which would be a major boost for them. Even their own division rivals like the Mets and Atlanta Braves, who were out of contention last season, should make things more interesting in the NL East.
The Phillies are probably the NL East favorites, but nothing more than that. Expecting this team to get beyond the NLDS when they haven't in previous years is wishful thinking, and unfortunately, time is running out for them to make true improvements.