Phillies' J.T. Realmuto makes candid admission on return to Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 04: J.T. Realmuto #10 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on during batting practice before playing the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 04, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

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By Jackson Roberts

Contributing Sports Writer

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J.T. Realmuto's return to the Philadelphia Phillies became official on Tuesday.

After news broke on Friday that the three-time All-Star catcher had agreed to a three-year, $45 million deal to remain in Philadelphia, the Phillies announced four days later that Realmuto had returned to the 40-man roster, and outfielder Weston Wilson had been designated for assignment.

Realmuto has been a big part of the Phillies' core that narrowly missed out on a championship over its last four seasons. But his bat dropped off this past season, and signing him for his age-35 through 37 seasons was a legitimate risk for the Phillies to take. And that's to make no mention of the Phillies' last-minute pursuit of Bo Bichette.

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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 04: J.T. Realmuto #10 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on during batting practice before playing the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 04, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

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Bichette's reported three-year deal with the New York Mets preceded Realmuto's return to the Phillies by a matter of minutes, and as Realmuto recounted on Tuesday, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, doubt crept in that Philadelphia would land the younger Bichette and turn its back on the veteran catcher.

"JT Realmuto wanted to return to Philadelphia all along, and thought it would happen, but acknowledged ‘it got hairy in the end’ knowing that he’d be gone if the Phillies signed Bo Bichette," Nightengale wrote on X.

Philadelphia offered Bichette a seven-year deal worth between $190 million and $200 million, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Had the Mets not missed out on Kyle Tucker the day before Bichette reportedly agreed to terms, it's entirely possible the Phillies would have landed the two-time All-Star shortstop, leaving Realmuto to face a market with almost no other reported buzz.

The Phillies are now in a position to run back virtually the same core that they've featured in their recent playoff runs, minus starting pitcher Ranger Suárez, who reportedly agreed to a deal with the Boston Red Sox last week. Some might argue that the formula has gotten stale, but to some degree, the Phillies can only make the offers they believe are fair, then see what free agents decide to do.