Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Thursday that he's informed Realmuto the catcher will receive more days off in 2027, Matt Gelb and Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic report.
He made 122 starts behind the plate in 2026 in his age-35 season. However, his downward trend offensively continued, as Realmuto slashed only .205/.283/.331 with 11 home runs across 467 plate appearances. Dombrowski didn't rule out acquiring an upgrade at backup catcher this offseason, which could allow manager Don Mattingly more confidence in giving Realmuto extra rest.