Oct 8, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) celebrates after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game three of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
LOS ANGELES — J.T. Realmuto, set to become a free agent this winter, was not interested in discussing his future after the Phillies suffered a season-ending loss to the Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLDS.
A few minutes into Realmuto's media session after the loss, On Pattison asked whether he hopes and/or expects to be back with the team in 2026.
"I'm not here to talk about free agency, dude," Realmuto said. "Don't ask that question right now."
Another reporter followed up with Realmuto, asking him if his uncertain future with the club at all affects how much the team coming up short of their goals in the postseason burns.
"I'm thinking about losing a baseball game. That's what it feels like right now," Realmuto said. "The last thing I'm thinking about is next year. If you wanna ask me about this series or my teammates, I understand that. But I haven't thought about next year yet."
J.T. Realmuto declined to discuss his future as he heads towards free agency.
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/9tPNZB1T8l
To peel back the curtain a little bit, the reason that Realmuto was asked about his future in the postgame press conference is that there aren't locker clean-out days in baseball like some other sports have. The next time that Realmuto speaks publicly will likely be after he signs his next contract, be it with the Phillies or another team.
Realmuto is completely justified in not wanting to talk about his future in that moment, but that's why the question was asked in that setting. Rob Thomson, Kyle Schwarber, Ranger Suárez, Harrison Bader and Nick Castellanos were all also asked about their futures. It's a pretty common practice after the end of a postseason series, because if it's not asked there, chances are there won't be an opportunity for it to be asked at any point.
Bryce Harper on J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber’s futures: “Obviously we love those two guys, and want them back.”
(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/UQrU9bXOk4
Just over five years after Bryce Harper said in his season-ending press conference that "J.T. Realmuto needs to be our catcher next year — plain and simple," the face of the franchise was again supportive of bringing back his long-time teammate (along with Schwarber as well).
"Obviously, J.T. is one of the best catchers in baseball," Harper said. "The guys love pitching to him, they love throwing to him ... he calls a great game ... had a great year this year ... had a great postseason.
"...I'm not really sure what happens or what goes into this offseason or where we kinda go from here. But I think obviously those two guys are gonna be a main decision for us ... a main conversation for us as a team and as a club, and I think obviously we love those two guys, and want them back.”
This is a different situation than the last time Realmuto became a free agent, though.
When Realmuto hit the open market after the 2020 season, he was coming off of a two-year stretch where he had posted an .825 OPS and was 11th among all players in the sport in WAR, per FanGraphs. Not only was he the undisputed best catcher in baseball at that time, but he was one of the game's elite players period. And the Phillies wound up bringing him back in free agency on a five-year/$115.5 million contract that reflected that.
Between 2024 and 2025, Realmuto posted a .722 OPS. His 4.0 WAR over that period ranks 118th among position players. He's still an above-average piece at a position that's difficult to find impact players at, and as Harper noted, he remains as respected as anyone in the organization by his teammates. But he'll turn 35 next March, and will likely be looking for a multi-year commitment from a team that already has a bunch of players signed into their 30s.
Thursday evening might not have been the time and place that Realmuto wanted to talk about his future. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies, though, will soon have to chart out how, if at all, they want to proceed with the three-time All-Star.
