Miami Marlins: Who Will Trade For J.T. Realmuto?
The Miami Marlins have the opportunity to shape the league’s off-season as a J.T. Realmuto trade becomes more and more likely. Where might the Marlins’ catcher end up?
On Tuesday, J.T. Realmuto‘s agent, Jeff Barry, stirred the Hot Stove Rumor Mill by announcing that his client would not be interested in discussing an extension with the Miami Marlins (Via MLB Network Radio). He also stated that he believes that Realmuto will be wearing a different uniform by the time Spring Training rolls around.
J.T. Realmuto is a fascinating player, as he is one of the best catchers in all of Major League Baseball. He is also the last remnant remaining from Derek Jeter’s fire-sale from last offseason.
In 2018, the Marlins’ backstop hit 21 home runs, drove in 74 RBIs and slashed .277/.340/.484, while leading all MLB catchers with an OPS+ of 131. There is a real shortage of quality catchers, so Realmuto’s availability is going to continue to garner a lot of attention. There are many teams that could target Realmuto as he can be an upgrade for any club. Where might the righty end up?
Three Clubs in the National League East
The Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves have already tried (and failed) to acquire Realmuto in the past year, and the New York Mets could soon join the hunt.
The Washington Nationals will probably lose Bryce Harper, and J.T. Realmuto could add a nice injection into their lineup. The club relied on Matt Wieters, Pedro Severino and Spencer Kieboom in 2018, and it is reasonable to assume that the club will continue to look for an upgrade, especially with Wieters set to hit free agency. Once Harper officially leaves, maybe the Nationals will finally be motivated to make the move?
The Atlanta Braves have received solid production from Tyler Flowers over the past few seasons, the righty has held his own with the bat and with his glove. The club recently signed Flowers to a very team friendly extension, but with Kurt Suzuki hitting free agency, the Braves could also look to upgrade at catcher.
The Braves have a great young core and “excess” prospects in a packed farm system. A J.T. Realmuto trade seems to make perfect sense for the club. The Braves have the means to deal and Realmuto could be a great help with the club’s young pitchers and in their lineup.
The New York Mets seem to always be in a catching flux. After long time catcher, Travis d’Arnaud went down with Tommy-John surgery, the Amazins’ were forced to rely on Kevin Plawecki, Jose Lobaton and Tomas Nido. Kevin Plawecki missed time as well, causing the Mets to trade for Devin Mesoraco, as they were in dire need of catching depth.
J.T. Realmuto would benefit the Mets offensively and defensively, as the team’s in-house options all struggle to produce consistently on both sides of the ball. Acquiring Realmuto would also add the star-power back into the Mets lineup, something the club has missed with Yoenis Cespedes missing large amounts of time over the past few seasons. The only issue for the Mets is that they may not be willing to deal prospects from their “thin” farm system, especially right away with Brodie Van Wagenen’s regime recently taking control.
Could J.T. Realmuto Head to Hollywood?
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an interesting possibility for J.T. Realmuto. Months ago, I would have guaranteed that the Dodgers would lose their catcher, Yasmani Grandal, to free agency. He seemed primed to sign a big free agent contract, but after struggling in the Playoffs, I wouldn’t be surprised if Grandal signs a one year “show me” deal to return to Los Angeles. Either way, the club needs to find an everyday catcher for 2019, as they do not have an in-house option who is ready to step into the role.
Could this be a good move for Los Angeles? Of course, Realmuto is a superstar. I feel that they could be a big player for the Marlins’ star as they are still seeking the piece to put their club over the top, especially after back to back World Series defeats. The only question is, do they have the prospects to make the deal happen?
Could the New York Yankees Swap Gary Sanchez for J.T. Realmuto?
Joel Sherman of the New York Post made headlines this week as he proposed the possibility of a Gary Sanchez for J.T. Realmuto swap with the New York Yankees. Sherman writes…
Realmuto is 27 and the game’s best overall catcher at a time when there is a dearth of quality at that position. That could make him more desirable to teams than even big free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. Will the Marlins trade him with two years until free agency? Yankees GM Brian Cashman already has said Gary Sanchez is the Yankees’ catcher next year. But if it matters, he has four years to free agency and when Miami’s influential vice president of player development and scouting Gary Denbo was running the Yankee farm system he was said to be a fan of Sanchez. Does that create the firmament for a potential deal?
This is a very intriguing possibility as Sanchez struggled behind the plate and with the bat in 2018. Like always, the Yankees are in win-now mode and J.T. Realmuto would help the club’s chances to win. In New York, we will likely see an increase in his offensive numbers, the Yankee Stadium effect, and the club would not have to wait for Sanchez to continue his development.
Gary Sanchez has shown that he can be a star, but the league seemed to figure him out in 2018. The Yankees have other bats that crush home runs, drive in RBIs, and strike out a lot. Realmuto would add balance to a lineup that already includes Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Miguel Andujar.
While this trade is the most far-fetched, it definitely is the most intriguing. Brian Cashman could probably acquire Realmuto for just Gary Sanchez.
The Marlins are not trying to win now and Sanchez has four years left until he reaches free agency. Realmuto only has two. Sanchez also has proven that he has the ability to be an MVP candidate. Even though this trade would be unorthodox, it could benefit both teams. Yankees’ fans, how does this trade sound? Let me know in the comments below.
Could J.T. Realmuto head to Houston?
With Brian McCann and Martin Maldonado headed to free agency, could the Houston Astros target J.T. Realmuto? The Astros don’t need a lot of help to continue their run of dominance, but acquiring the Marlins’ catcher would certainly be a plus. The Astros have the farm system to trade and the need at catcher. If they acquired Realmuto, the rich would get even richer. The Astros would soon start to resemble an All-Star team all by themselves.
While they aren’t currently a front-runner, I would not be surprised if they were to emerge in the near future. It is reasonable to assume that the Marlins would ask for their top prospect, Kyle Tucker, but I believe that the Astros have the farm system to make a deal work while avoiding their biggest assets. A trade surrounding Yordan Alvarez, J.B. Bukauskas and Seth Beer would be hard to ignore.
Next. Marlins take step back to move forward. dark
In the end, the J.T. Realmuto storyline will be very interesting to follow. The Miami Marlins have a very valuable player that could put a fringe club over the top, we will just have to wait and see where he ends up.