Ex-player says Phillies’ JT Realmuto contract is better for future than long-term Bo Bichette deal

The Philadelphia Phillies re-signed JT Realmuto to a three-year, $45 million contract on Friday. The move came after the New York Mets signed Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million deal. Philadelphia was connected to Bichette before the infielder chose the Mets. However, the Phillies were reportedly discussing a long-term deal with him, something former MLB player Erik Kratz thinks wouldn’t have been the best move for Philadelphia had it come to fruition.

“I think this (Realmuto contract) sets the Phillies up better for the future than adding another seven or eight-year contract, however long the Bo contract was going to be,” Kratz said on Foul Territory. “And having those guys aging with an aging Bo. To me, this sets it up like, okay, at the end of this contract, the next GM, the next president of baseball operations if it’s not Dave (Dombrowski)… That’s when they have to realize that this window is most likely shut because of the age of everybody.

“Trea (Turner) and Bryce (Harper) are not going to be able to DH, so they still have to be out there on the field because (Kyle) Schwarber’s still in for two more years after this three-year JT Realmuto deal is done.”

It seems as if Kratz is saying a seven or eight-year Bichette deal would not have played as well with the current core as opposed to the Realmuto three-year contract. Once the three years is up, Kratz thinks the Phillies’ window to compete with their current core of players may be over.

It’s an interesting thought. Of course, Philadelphia could have built a new core around Bichette down the road. In the end, Bichette ended up New York, while Realmuto returned to Philadelphia.

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