Philadelphia Phillies: Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto have Brotherly Love
The Philadelphia Phillies need to keep Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto together.
After years and years of suffering through mediocre play across the board, the Philadelphia Phillies finally have two of the best players in Major League Baseball at their given positions: Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto.
Now granted, is that statement open to a spirited debate? Sure, maybe you consider Willson Contreras or Gary Sánchez a better backstop, or would rather have hometown hero Mike Trout in the outfield over Haper, but for the sake of argument, let’s go with it.
So, with that in mind, how is continuing this pairing for the foreseeable future not priority number one for the Phillies’ front office? Do they seriously want to risk losing Realmuto to another World Series contender?
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Apparently so, as according to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki, the two camps are no closer now to landing a long-term deal than they were at the start of restricted free agency back in March, with the chances of landing said deal before the season starts in a few weeks a borderline impossibility.
But, like, why?
The Phillies surrendered a ton of assets to acquire Realmuto from the Miami Marlins – granted, under then-skipper Gabe Kepler – so why are they constantly trying to cut corners and make him less happy with his situation? I get taking players to arbitration is a borderline norm for most MLB teams but is saving a few dollars here or there really worth upsetting an All-Star catcher coming off his best professional season to date? You don’t win a Silver Slugger award and a Gold Glove Award in the same season by mistake.
Fortunately, it would appear Realmuto does have one man in his corner who just so happens to have some sway in the Phillies organization: His fellow multi-time All-Star, Bryce Harper.
To be fair, this shouldn’t be too surprising. Harper has long been a fan of Realmuto since before the duo were teammates, with some theorizing that the Phillies’ decision to trade Sixton Sanchez and company to Miami for his services played a role in the former MVP’s decision to sign with the team over similarly lucrative offers from teams like the Dodgers. Since officially joining forces, the duo have become even faster friends, routinely sharing celebratory elbow bumps after a good hit and generally taking part in some of the more enjoyable revelries in the dugout.
Per the man himself, “Not signing J.T. Realmuto would be terrible and sad”.
Spoiler alert: He’s right.
It would be ‘terrible and sad’ if Realmuto didn’t finish out his career in Phillies pinstripes not because he’s a 29-year-old power-hitting catcher who also led the league in double-plays turned – though that certainly plays into it – but because of just how crucial he’s been to transforming this collection of borderline baseball mercenaries into a legit team.
With Joe Girardi now locked in as the Phillies’ new skipper, the team needs to make a concerted effort to come together a la their 2008 iteration and form a dedicated core that can grow together from an underwhelming 81-81 record in 2019 to a legitimate World Series contender. That takes talent, yes, but also consistency. With Aaron Nola somehow the Phillies’ longest-tenured player at the tender age of 27, establishing a tight foundation of uber-talented players like Haper and Realmuto could help lay the groundwork for players like Scott Kingery, Roman Quinn, and Nick Williams to take the next step in their play development.
Is that worth $25ish million a year? Yes, I’d wager to say so.
Look, the Philadelphia Phillies are one of the harder teams to read in professional sports. Sometimes they do exactly what you’d expect them to do; sometimes they make a move that makes literally no sense at all; it’s sort of their thing. That being said, the very idea of breaking up Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto after only two seasons together would undoubtedly fall into the latter category, as good teams just don’t move on from the best catcher in baseball, especially after trading away their top prospect, over a few million dollars. Then again, the Philadelphia Phillies are the Philadelphia Phillies, so…