With George Springer officially off the free-agent board and heading to the Toronto Blue Jays, a lot more attention surrounds the future of J.T. Realmuto. Well, the rumors are swirling, particularly around the latest team to join the conversation: the Atlanta Braves. How seriously should we take these latest Braves rumors?
Robert Murray, an MLB Insider and national columnist for FanSided, recently revealed the Braves are circling in on Realmuto per league sources.
Braves circling on free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto, according to league sources. Other teams on the west coast are expressing interest.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) January 21, 2021
Braves rumors: Will Realmuto end up in Atlanta?
Realmuto is considered one of the best free agents in this year’s class and the only remaining star catcher without a permanent home. The 29-year-old posted a 1.2 WAR last year, hitting .266 with 11 home runs and 32 RBIs for the Philadelphia Phillies. Realmuto is a great option defensively and possesses the qualities to manage any staff in baseball.
There’s definitely a possibility the Braves are just thinking strategically to drive up the price of Realmuto staying home in Philadelphia.
Atlanta doesn’t possess a huge need behind the plate, with Travis d’Arnaud enjoying a breakout campaign last year. d’Arnaud won the Silver Slugger Award after posting a 0.8 WAR, .321/.386/.533 hitting line, nine home runs, and 34 RBIs in just 44 games.
On the other end of this, sources have said the Phillies recently offered Realmuto a deal in the $110 million range. With this price tag, it’s hard to say the Phillies aren’t the current frontrunners.
Phillies’ chances to re-sign star catcher JT Realmuto got another boost with Jays’ Springer signing. Toronto didn’t view catching as a big weakness anyway but hard to see room for another 9-figure player. Phils believed offering about $110M for JT.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 20, 2021
Still, d’Arnaud is an older option at catcher and only secured under contract for one more season. Realmuto is clearly a better option defensively and possesses the same, if not better, offensive potential.
If the Phillies even get an inkling that Realmuto could be bound for a divisional rival, this surely drives up his price tag from that $110 million mark. Regardless of the outcome, the “MLB Hot Stove” is officially blazing with new rumors breaking the internet/Twitter every other day. Let’s just sit back and enjoy it.