Phillies make a roster move with J.T. Realmuto deal official

J.T. Realmuto’s record deal is official. The Phillies announced it Friday afternoon, about three hours after the news of their deal with free-agent lefty Matt Moore.

Realmuto, one of the best all-around players in baseball, will remain with the Phillies for the next five years at $115.5 million, an average of $23.1 million that narrowly exceeds Joe Mauer’s AAV for the richest ever for a catcher.

We'll hear from Realmuto, Dave Dombrowski, Sam Fuld and Joe Girardi via Zoom on Monday at 1 p.m.

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The Phillies spent two years negotiating on and off with Realmuto after acquiring him in February 2019 from the Marlins in exchange for top prospect Sixto Sanchez and catcher Jorge Alfaro. The pressure continued to mount for the Phillies to retain Realmuto, especially as Sanchez thrived against tough competition as a rookie in 2020. It took most of the offseason, but the sides finally agreed to a deal about a month earlier than the Phillies signed Bryce Harper two winters ago.

Realmuto’s contract is the third of at least $100 million currently on the Phillies’ books, along with Harper’s 13-year, $330 million deal and Zack Wheeler’s $118 million over five years.

Here is an updated look at the Phillies’ payroll and how much wiggle room they still have under the luxury tax threshold.

To make room for Realmuto on the 40-man roster, the Phillies designated right-handed pitcher Ian Hamilton for assignment. Hamilton was claimed off waivers in December from Seattle.