The Philadelphia Phillies agreed to a five-year, $115.5 million contract with catcher J.T. Realmuto on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Realmuto is a two-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger honoree. He was traded to Philadelphia in February 2019 after five seasons with the Marlins. Realmuto posted a .840 OPS in 2020, earning 36 home runs and 115 RBI in just over 700 at-bats with the Phillies.
Realmuto will now earn more than any catcher in baseball in 2021, passing Buster Posey’s $21.4 million salary with the Giants. Realmuto’s contract marks the highest average annual value for any catcher in MLB history, surpassing the $23 million mark previously earned by former Twins catcher Joe Mauer.
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