PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies' offseason checklist may be close to complete.
The team reached a deal on Friday to bring back catcher J.T. Realmuto, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. The deal -- which has not been confirmed by the team -- is a three-year, $45 million contract, with $5 million in incentives per year.
That development came shortly after reports surfaced that potential Phillies free-agent target Bo Bichette had agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal with the Mets. The team’s interest in Bichette had ramped up over the past 10 days, given the apparent impasse between the Phils and Realmuto.
That stalemate, however, resolved quickly once Bichette was off the board, with Realmuto agreeing to return to Philadelphia. For Realmuto, who turns 35 in March, the new deal is understandably a cut from the $23.1 million AAV of the five-year, $115.5 million contract he just finished.
Though it took longer to come together than expected, the Phillies have now retained two of their top three free agents this offseason. From the beginning, the top priorities were Kyle Schwarber -- who signed a five-year, $150 million deal in early December -- and Realmuto.
Though the club would have loved to retain Ranger Suárez, that was always considered a long shot. The left-hander on Wednesday agreed to a five-year, $130 million contract with the Red Sox, according to a source.
That kicked off a frenzied few days of free agency that included Kyle Tucker reportedly agreeing to a four-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers.
Once Tucker was off the board, it's no surprise that Bichette followed quickly. There appeared to be some growing optimism across the industry that the Phillies could be the frontrunner to sign the star infielder, with USA Today reporting the Phils were willing to offer a seven-year, $200 million contract. But the Mets' stunning shorter-term offer at the last minute proved to be too good to pass up.
For the Phillies, it was unlikely they were going to sign both Bichette and Realmuto. Landing the former would have not only closed the door on a possible Realmuto return, but it would have caused a bit of a domino effect in which the Phils would have likely had to trade away a starting infielder (likely third baseman Alec Bohm) to create an opening for Bichette.
And while re-signing Realmuto may not supply the offensive boost that Bichette would have brought, it's a move that certainly figures to benefit the Phillies' star-studded pitching staff. If not Realmuto, the Phils would have needed to either turn the reins over to Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs, or pursue a catcher from outside the organization, where the options were quite limited.
Instead, it will once again be the three-time All-Star in Realmuto behind the plate.
Though he's coming off a down year offensively, Realmuto remains one of the game's better defensive catchers. He's also unquestionably the most durable and consistent backstop across the Majors, having caught 6,699 2/3 innings since joining the Phillies in 2019. That's 1,183 1/3 more than any other catcher during that span.
With Friday's rapid developments, the 2026 roster may be coming fully into focus.
In addition to retaining Realmuto behind the plate, the starting infield is likely to remain the same from last season, with Bryce Harper at first base, Bryson Stott at second, Trea Turner at shortstop and Bohm at third. The starting rotation sans Suárez will feature Zack Wheeler (once healthy), Cristopher Sánchez, Aaron Nola, Jesús Luzardo, Taijuan Walker and potentially top prospect Andrew Painter.
Along with a revamped bullpen in front of closer Jhoan Duran, the outfield is where there figures to be the biggest shakeup from 2025.
Adolis García -- signed to a one-year, $10 million deal in December -- will start in right field, while No. 3 prospect Justin Crawford is expected to get a chance to win an everyday job in center. Left field could be occupied by a platoon of Brandon Marsh and a right-handed bat -- perhaps Otto Kemp -- unless the Phils make any other moves over the next two months.
One move that remains inevitable is moving on from veteran outfielder Nick Castellanos. Both sides have acknowledged that a change of scenery is in order for 2026, but the Phillies are yet to find a potential trade partner.
While the club could simply release Castellanos and take the $20 million hit, it’s more likely the Phils will wait until free-agent outfielders such as Austin Hays and Harrison Bader are off the board. At that point, perhaps another team still seeking outfield help would be willing to pay off at least a small portion of the money owed to Castellanos.
It’s also possible the Phillies themselves check on some of the other remaining free-agent outfielders. As an alternative to pairing Kemp alongside Marsh in left field, the Phils could look to add another right-handed-hitting outfielder such as Randal Grichuk, Starling Marte or Austin Slater, among others.
That all remains to be seen, though any further moves this offseason would likely be smaller in nature following the Realmuto deal.