In a move that was not at all surprising, catcher J.T. Realmuto has reportedly refused the Phillies’ qualifying offer and will test free agency.
Realmuto is expected to easily better this year’s QO of $18.9 million for one year, and could see a multi-year deal that pays him more per year than any catcher in MLB history. San Francisco’s Buster Posey is the current record holder at $21.4 million in average annual value. He signed an eight-year, $168 million contract extension with the Giants in 2013. It’s unlikely Realmuto will better that deal in terms of years or total dollars, but should top the AAV with little problem, even as teams pull back their payrolls due to the pandemic.