Phillies Re-Sign JT Realmuto

YONG KIM / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Yesterday, the Philadelphia Phillies resigned star Catcher JT Realmuto after months of back and forth and rumors that the Phillies were unlikely to resign the catcher. The Phillies brought back the best Catcher in the game who is a top 30 player in baseball and has been reliable for the Phillies for the last few yaars. Realmuto will continue to do well in Philly and has had success there. This signing isn't surprising but it is a good signing by the team. Realmuto signed for a 115.5 Million Dollar Deal over 5 years (23.1M AAV). Many people think that this deal was an overpay for the Phillies, which I disagree with and I do not think it was an overpay.

What This Means For The Phillies

YONG KIM / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

The Philadelphia Phillies have underperformed for two straight seasons and have many holes that the team needs to fill, especially in the bullpen. The Phillies have a solid lineup with Harper, Realmuto, Hoskins, and others. However, as said previously, the Phillies' rotation is shaky and the bullpen is still very poor and needs more work.

Overall, the Phillies have a promise but still are the 4th best team in the NL East, which is the toughest division in baseball. It would take a lot for the Phillies to overcome the Mets, Nationals, Braves in the division and it would also be hard for the club to win the wild card against those teams and the Padres in the West. The Phillies definitely have some good players but still do not have enough and they are unlikely to add more this offseason.

What This Means For The Rest of the NL East

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The National League East is a stacked division and the best in baseball, with four teams that have a chance to win the division and dominate in 2021. Even, the Marlins aren't that bad and have an outside chance to make something happen, which they did in 2020 in the 60 game season. The Braves are clearly the best team in the division and have a very good chance to make it to the World Series, and maybe even in the Fall Classic. The Mets are second and have a lot of promise going forward in 2021. The Nationals are third, just above the Phillies with a good team all around. The Marlins are chearly the worst team as they overall are unproven.

To recap, the division will be very interesting. Every team has chance in 2021 and will show who they really are. The Braves are the clear favorite as they have won three straight division titles, and have only gotten better. It is clear that they are the best team in the division and the team to beat in 2021.

What This Means For The Rest Of Baseball

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This move will and already has had a large effect on baseball.

First, the market. The Free Agent Market has already moved and players have already been signed in the last 24 hours. Free Agency is coming to a close, as February is approaching. Only Trevor Bauer, Marcell Ozuna, James Paxton and others are left on the market unsigned going into February. Those players mentioned likely will be signed fairly soon and Free Agency will come to a close.

Next, the rest of the baseball. This move by the Phillies has had an effect on the rest of baseball, as it takes Realmuto and his services away from other suitors, although his market was always fairly small, similar to LeMahieu's market with the Yankees. Other teams will now shift to other players and many will end the offseason and move to focus on Spring Training and the upcoming season in 2021.

The JT Realmuto signing was a huge deal and it will be interesting to see how this effects the game of baseball from the Phillies to the rest of the NL East to the rest of the game. For more, check out other articles on my website and make sure to check out other pages on my website and my Instagram account, @marksportsmlb