At 33, his performance is clearly declining, and Philadelphia plans to address this by using backup catchers more to preserve his best for crucial moments later in the season.

However, the possibility of his departure looms if the Phillies don't offer him a new contract.

So far, extension talks haven't occurred, according to Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"The Phillies haven't approached Realmuto about an extension, but it may come up later in the offseason or spring training. And it will be a fascinating conversation," he reports.

Offering multi-year contracts to catchers at his age is uncommon.

Since 2004, only four catchers have received deals for three or more seasons: Mike Matheny, Jorge Posada, Carlos Ruiz, and Yadier Molina.

Joining that group wouldn't be unfavorable, and given Realmuto's career achievements, there's a case for him to be included since he's still an elite catcher.

However, he's coming off his worst offensive season in nine years, so expecting improvement with age, even with more rest, seems unrealistic.

It's a tough decision.

The best approach might be for Philadelphia to let him complete this season and evaluate his performance before considering another contract.