JUST IN: Phillies announces star massive 2-year, $24M contract deal

In order to return to the World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies must make some significant summer decisions. However, they must focus on re-signing their own free agents before they can bolster their roster.

Slugger Kyle Schwarber should be kept if the Phillies are ready to spend the money, but Ranger Suárez is probably going to leave town in free agency. JT Realmuto, a catcher with the Phillies, is the most uncertain free agent.

Realmuto is expected to sign a two-year, $24 million contract with the San Diego Padres after leaving the Phillies, according to Ryan Finkelstein of Just Baseball.

With more than 11 years of major league experience, Realmuto is undoubtedly a superb leader behind the dish and is still excellent at controlling the running game on defense. But as a pitch framer, he has somewhat declined, according to Finkelstein. There is every possibility that Realmuto will return to make another run in Philadelphia because he is the kind of seasoned leader who improves a strong club. San Diego, on the other hand, would be a more appealing destination for him, as he could assist a Padres squad in need of an improvement over Freddy Fermin.

This would be a very sensible move as the Padres need to add a catcher. The money would be the main benefit of this possible transaction. It would be obvious if the Padres could sign Realmuto for $12 million annually. However, the Phillies will probably be active in his free agency at that price. In any case, Realmuto is probably going to sign a contract that is marginally bigger than our estimate.