The corona is going to screw over some teams and really help others. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles. One team that will get screwed over is the Phillies. When they traded for JT Realmuto, they thought they were getting two years of production. The second year seems to be up in the air. Should Philadelphia regret the trade?
The corona really sucks for the Phillies. Realmuto is going to be a free agent after the 2020 season. Whether it gets played or not, Realmuto becomes a free agent. The Phillies gave up Jorge Alfaro, Sixto Sanchez, Will Stewart, and an undisclosed amount of international bonus money. Was it really worth it?
Sanchez looks like a can’t miss prospect. He’s number 16 on Baseball America. Sanchez, 22, is coming off a season with a 2.53 ERA holding opponents to 87 hits in 103 innings. I said it at the time, giving up Sanchez seemed like a foolish move. It looks a hell of a lot worse now.
Alfaro may not be Realmuto at the plate but he’s more than capable and probably has the biggest throwing arm in the sport. Not to mention that Alfaro is controllable for 3 years. You could make the argument that including Alfaro in the deal was too much considering the years of control remaining.
JT Realmuto is a great player. He’s the best catcher in the sport. I’m not denying that. However, the acquisition cost here is far too high. You’re going to have to pay him to moon in stars. Realmuto has the leverage because Philadelphia already gave up a boatload in a trade. Do you want to pay any catcher a fortune?
Realmuto is going to cash in during free agency live never before for a catcher. Yasmani Grandal got more than $18 million per year. What do you think Realmuto is getting? Are we sure the Phillies can even afford him? Philadelphia already has a payroll north of $150 million for next year not including their arbitration eligible players. Yes, the club options for Jake Arrieta, David Robertson, and Hector Neris will be declined. Still it’s going to be a serious challenge to keep him in Philly.
The JT Realmuto trade was probably a mistake. As good as he is, nobody is talented enough to overcome that acquisition cost and make up for the Phillies surrounding roster. There’s a reason why they only won one more game in 2019 than in 2018.
