Philadelphia

Phillies

Nola surely could have been a part of Team USA’s rotation last WBC, but he wasn’t interested then after a long 2022 season that saw the Phillies go to the World Series. Now he’ll be pitching for an Italian team whose starters last time around were a soon-to-be-retired Matt Harvey, Ryan Castellani and Michele Vassalotti. There’s also been some talk about Chase Burns, who was born in Naples, being part of Italy’s staff this year, though the Reds probably aren’t going to want that to happen.

Realmuto is guaranteed $15 million per season under the terms of his three-year deal with the Phillies, so he’ll be fine. However, the bonuses that would get him to a maximum of $20 million per season will be tough to reach. He’d earn $2 million each for finishing in the top 10 of MVP balloting or being voted to start the All-Star Game. He’d make $1 million each for an All-Star selection, a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger, up to a maximum of $5 million in total. None of Realmuto’s last three seasons would have qualified him for any of these bonuses. He was last an All-Star in 2021, though he would have collected $4 million in 2022 for finishing seventh in the NL MVP balloting and winning both a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger. That was his lone top-10 MVP finish to date.

With J.T. Realmuto’s contract becoming official, the Phillies needed to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, so Wilson was let go. The 31-year-old hit .198/.282/.369 in 125 plate appearances with the Phillies in 2025. He has historically produced better and is strong against left-handed pitching, so he could find a spot somewhere else as a bench bat.

The deal was announced over the weekend and is now official. The veteran will be 35 next year and is coming off a season in which he hit .257/.315/.384 with 12 home runs and 8 steals. He remains an elite defensive catcher and a rock-solid presence in the Phillies’ lineup. He has experienced a minor regression offensively and no longer seems likely to push for 15+ steals in a season, which makes him more of a fringe top 10 catcher for fantasy leagues.

Robert Murray of Fansided adds that it’ll be a three-year, $45 million deal with incentives that could run the total as high as $60 million. It always felt like a reunion with the Phillies made the most sense for the 34-year-old backstop, and now it looks like they’re close to pushing that deal across the finish line. Realmuto hit .257/.315/.384 with 12 homers, 52 RBI and eight stolen bases across 550 plate appearances in 2025 — his seventh season with the Phillies.

Keller’s addition should round out the pitching staff, though it’s quite possible one or two guys will drop out before the tourney. Keller busted out with the Cubs in relief last season, posting a 2.07 ERA and a 75/22 K/BB in 69 2/3 innings. He signed a two-year, $22 million deal with the Phillies last month.

The deal includes opt-outs after each season. The quick response from the Mets after missing out on Kyle Tucker sees them bringing in Bichette for third base. That seemed like it was going to be former top prospect Brett Baty’s spot, but he could now get some work at first and DH; he still ought to be in the lineup against righties one way or the other. Bichette appeared Philadelphia-bound until the Mets stepped up their offer following the Tucker sweepstakes. Perhaps the Phillies could now use their spending power to make a run at lefty Framber Valdez.

Shugart, who was DFA’d last week, had a 3.40 ERA in 45 innings for the Pirates last season, though his peripherals weren’t very impressive; his K/BB was 31/17 and his groundball rate was only 33%. He does have an option year left, though, and the Phillies were surely attracted to that. Loreto, an 18-year-old signed out of Venezuela two years ago, wasn’t regarded as one of the Phillies’ better prospects. He hit .237/.332/.396 in 47 games in the Florida Complex League last season.

Stoudt hasn’t resurfaced at the major-league level since making four appearances for the Reds back in 2023. The 28-year-old former pitching prospect has bounced around between a couple different organizations, including the Orioles and Mariners, over the past two seasons while pitching in relief in Triple-A. He’s merely organizational depth at this stage of his career.

Pinto fortifies Philadelphia’s catching depth chart, which lacks a true starter at the moment with veteran J.T. Realmuto languishing in free agency, behind Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs. The 29-year-old backstop split last year between the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks at the Triple-A level. He’s gotten into 82 games at the big-league level since 2022.