Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Has 'Last Chance' To Show He's Still Elite

The Philadelphia Phillies catcher has slowed down, but there might not be many better options available.

Sep 25, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) hits an RBI single against the Chicago Cubs in the seventh inning at Citizens Bank Park. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

When the Philadelphia Phillies are at their best, the veteran talent on the roster plays at a high level.

That's been the name of the game for the Phillies over the past three seasons and likely won't change, barring anything drastic happening.

The core is set for much of the next decade.

Philadelphia's World Series window seems to be closing a bit, but if it plays how it can, there's a good chance they will eventually win one, however, if they continue to get knocked out in the playoffs early like they did a few months ago, massive changes will have to be made.

At some point, though, Philadelphia has to take a chance.

That could be moving on from some of its top players or guys who aren't what they used to be.

The first name that comes to mind is J.T. Realmuto.

A few campaigns ago, he was arguably the best catcher in Major League Baseball. He was an elite defender and could hit 20-plus home runs, something many catchers in the league can't do.

But, over the last year, Realmuto has been a different player.

His injury in 2024 didn't help him, playing in just 99 games, but he wasn't great at most points throughout the season. Even in 2023, despite hitting 20 home runs, he finished with a 105 OPS+, the worst mark of his career since 2015.

The three-time All-Star slashed .266/.322/.429 with a 109 OPS+ in 2024, and while those numbers for a catcher aren't bad, he used to produce more offensively.

As a result of his slowed-down play, Matt Grazel of FanSided believes Realmuto's upcoming season will be his last chance to show he can still make an impact.

"Realmuto has been gradually declining offensively over the past two years. Whether or not he and the organization agree to a short-term deal, the Phillies need to find another suitable alternative for the position. Garrett Stubbs is not a starting catcher, and it is unknown if Rafael Marchán can be anything more than a backup. If Philadelphia's starting catcher continues to show signs of offensive decline, the organization needs to either move on from him or transition him to a platoon starter or backup."

Realmuto hits free agency in 2026 and will be 34 at that point.

A long-term extension with the Phillies doesn't make sense, but given they don't have a clear replacement with proven big league success, keeping him around on a short-term deal wouldn't be surprising if he plays better.