When the Philadelphia Phillies traded for catcher J.T. Realmuto last offseason, it was widely assumed they would immediately begin work on extending the All-Star backstop.
But Realmuto remains without a contract, and given he will be a free agent at the end of the year, the Phillies risk losing one of their most productive assets.
Realmuto's monetary demands might be making things tougher on the Phils. Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Realmuto and agent Jeff Berry are hoping to surpass former Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer's $23 million annual average, the record for the position.