Could the Dodgers come out the winners in the J.T. Realmuto sweepstakes?
Many teams have been rumored to be interested in the Marlins catcher, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, but none has closed the deal. Could the Dodgers leave Vegas with a new backstop?
The Los Angeles Dodgers seem to be resigned to watch former starting catcher Yasmani Grandal walk in free agency, and while backup Austin Barnes has plenty of good qualities, he may be best suited to a role where he can play multiple positions for the Dodgers. Could that put the Dodgers in a good position for J.T. Realmuto?
The Dodgers have been rumored to be talking with the Marlins, but they have not been willing to meet Miami’s price to this point, and there are no shortage of articles from various blogs and beat writers alike as to why the deal should not happen.
This isn’t one of those pieces.
The Marlins are finding their options more and more limited. The most recent rumors read like a desperate home owner trying to get a bidder to up their offer. The teams mentioned were the teams that were known to be talking to the Marlins at the time, the Mets and the Phillies, and then the teams with the three best farm systems in baseball, the Braves, Padres, and Rays.
That should give a good idea where exactly the Marlins are in getting the value that they want in the deal. Much like asking for Ronald Acuna (and more) for Christian Yelich last offseason, the Marlins are aiming high and likely will end up having to scale down their ask in the end.
The Cardinals pounced on Marcell Ozuna before December 15th last year, while it took over a month for Yelich’s market to pan out. The Dodgers have the pieces to swing that market in the way the Cardinals did last offseason.
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Why the fit works for both sides
The Marlins would like to get back a catcher if possible, would like MLB-ready talent, and would like to maximize the return on Realmuto, arguably their last good trade chip on the roster (though Starlin Castro would argue that point).
The Dodgers have a host of talented catchers working up their farm system that will be ready soon, so they likely would prefer to stay away from a long-term deal behind the plate while maintaining the quality that could return them to the World Series for the third straight season.
Realmuto has two more seasons of arbitration control, becoming a free agent after the 2020 season. The Dodgers would also have Will Smith or Connor Wong to offer (most likely top prospect Keibert Ruiz would not be available in the deal) and pair him with Dennis Santana, Caleb Ferguson, or even Ross Stripling or Alex Wood if the Marlins would prefer that route.
The Dodgers also have the depth to add to the deal as needed around those base pieces. Something like Connor Wong, Dennis Santana, and Drew Jackson/Errol Robinson would be an excellent starting point. There may need to be another piece or two to make it work, but the top guys like Alex Verdugo, Ruiz, Gavin Lux, and Dustin May are as good as off-limits in a deal. The Marlins will need to work with depth over a single elite guy.
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No matter how it may work out in total cost, while they aren’t getting a lot of publicity, it makes a lot of sense for the Dodgers to be the team that ends up with Realmuto in the end.