Spring training can be a time for contract extensions, and while J.T. Realmuto is important to the Phillies, the club should avoid extending him this spring.

While Realmuto has been one of baseball’s best catchers for a decade, his age – he’s entering his mid-30s – raises questions and concerns about his performance moving forward.

Realmuto has always strived for a big workload, and over the last four seasons, he’s logged that, catching more innings (4,118) than anyone else. In that same period, Realmuto is sixth among qualified catchers with a 112 wRC+.

Going back even further, Realmuto has been the most productive player in his position during his career. According to FanGraphs, his 34.9 wins above replacement since the start of 2015 is tops among catchers.

Beyond statistics, Realmuto is a key member of the Phillies’ pitching staff. He helps game plan and isn’t afraid to navigate away from that plan if he senses something from a hitter. Realmuto has a knack for attacking opponents. He’s one of the best at doing it. He gives his pitching staff confidence. Pitchers trust him.

Realmuto is also a strong defender with an above-average ability to throw out would-be base stealers.

But again, Realmuto is only getting older. Questions surround him in 2025 and the years that follow.

The former third-round pick is coming off a career-low 99-game season. Realmuto missed about a month in 2024 after undergoing a knee operation in the middle of the season. And while he says he didn’t injure himself catching, it shouldn’t matter. He’s aging. And there should be caution when it comes to that fact.

Realmuto has always been an Iron Man. But as he enters his mid-30s, it’s fair to question how long he can keep that up while remaining a highly effective catcher, both behind the dish and at the plate.

Over the last two years, Realmuto’s offensive production has fallen off a bit. He’s been inconsistent at times. He posted a 102 wRC+ in 2023. That mark was 109 last year. Both are good numbers, especially for a catcher. But Realmuto has been better than that in the past. It’s why he was considered the game’s best catcher at one point; he was a strong defender and offensive player. That’s rare for the catching position.

Father Time will catch up with Realmuto. When will that be? Who knows. But the Phillies are already considering playing Realmuto less behind the plate this year. Manager Rob Thomson has said Realmuto may see more at-bats as a designated hitter in 2025. Doing so would keep Realmuto’s bat in the lineup while keeping him away from catching. The hope is that it’ll keep him fresher as the season progresses.

Realmuto’s value has always been derived from his constant availability, above-average bat, and athleticism. Those are all things that tend to fall off as a player ages.

This isn’t to say the Phillies should move on from Realmuto after this year. They have no real internal options to replace him. But they should exercise caution when it comes to a potential extension.

The organization should wait and see what the catcher does this year. Does he end up catching close to 130 games again? Does he stay healthy? What does his bat look like? Is he still able to catch at a high level? How does he look toward the end of the year? How consistent can he be in his age-34 season?

These are all key questions. Another key question: How many teams would be willing to get into a bidding war for Realmuto were he to hit the free-agent market at season’s end?

While catching is hard to come by in today’s game, it’s fair to wonder if a catcher entering his age-35 season would be attractive to a large group of teams. Maybe if Realmuto logs plenty of time behind the plate and has an outstanding offensive season – say a 20-homer, 120-wRC+ campaign – more teams would be willing to bid for his services. But right now, that scenario seems unlikely. Even if it does unfold, the Phillies would likely do all they can to retain Realmuto.

The Phillies should wait things out when it comes to Realmuto’s next contract. There are too many questions surrounding him right now to guarantee him anything beyond 2025.

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