J.T Realmuto is viewed by many as the best catcher in Major League Baseball. He led all MLB catchers in hits, runs scored, batting average, slugging, OPS, doubles, extra-base hits, and Fangraphs Wins Above Replacement. He is also only 27 years of age, and has 2 seasons remaining until he is eligible for free agency.
With all these factors going for Realmuto, he is viewed as an extremely valuable commodity for many teams around the league. Realmuto’s agent made it known before the season that he wants out of Miami, according to Anthony Spaulding of SBNation. Also, David Phillips of SBNation reported after the season that Realmuto won’t sign an extension with the Marlins.
With this information in mind, one could imagine that the trade market for Realmuto will be quite interesting. Here are the three teams that make the most sense as a landing spot for the 27 year old catcher.
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers make sense for many reasons. First off, they have a need at catcher, as their 2018 starting catcher Yasmani Grandal is a free-agent, and backup catcher Austin Barnes hit .205 in 2018. Second, they are a contending team, making the World Series each of the last two years and could use an extra piece to put them over the top. And lastly, they have the prospects in order to entice Miami to want to make a deal. Their top prospect, OF Alex Verdugo, would likely be the centrepiece of a deal. Verdugo is #32 on MLB.com’s top 100 prospects list, and he is currently roadblocked by the glut of outfielders currently on the Dodgers roster (Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Chris Taylor, Kike Hernandez, Matt Kemp). With the Dodgers having much more of a need at catcher than they do in the outfield, they could make a deal for Realmuto with Verdugo, a couple major league pieces (possibly LHP Alex Wood and/or RHP Ross Stripling) and a couple other prospects in their minor league system.
2. Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers are another interesting option for a lot of the same reasons as the Dodgers. They made it to Game 7 of the NLCS this past year, and Realmuto would represent a major upgrade at catcher over incumbents Manny Pina and Erik Kratz. In order to make a deal for Realmuto, the Brewers would almost certainly have to part ways with top prospects 2B Keston Hiura and/or OF Corey Ray, who were Milwaukee’s first round picks in 2017 and 2016, respectively. They would also likely have to give up a couple proven major league pieces (OF Domingo Santana, 1B/OF Eric Thames, and RHP Brandon Woodruff come to mind). If the Brewers do pull the trigger on this deal, it would help ensure the Brewers window of contention stays open for the next couple years. Plus, the Brewers have had great returns on trades with the Marlins in recent memory, as evidenced by 2018 NL MVP Christian Yelich. The Brewers gave up 2017 MLB Pipeline #13 prospect OF Lewis Brinson to get Yelich, which seemed like a large price to pay at the time. That trade paid great dividends, so they might be inclined to do it again.
3. Oakland Athletics
I’m going to go a bit out of the box with this pick. The A’s have never been known to make big news in trades or free agency, but I will make an exception. They are coming off a 97-win season, and have almost all of their core position players returning. One of their regulars from 2018 that is no longer on the roster is C Jonathon Lucroy, so they’ll need a replacement for him as the only catcher on their roster currently is Josh Phegley, who has a .264 OBP across 6 major league seasons. They also have some prospect capital they can offer Miami, particularly LHP’s Jesus Luzardo and A.J. Puk, as well as C Sean Murphy. All 3 of those guys are in the Top 50 in MLB.com’s top 100 prospects list, so that should get the Marlins attention. Also, Realmuto isn’t free-agent eligible, which means he would not be nearly as pricey as a player of his caliber would be on the free agent market. That is welcome news for the small-market A’s. A trade package entered around one or two of the A’s top prospects, alongside a couple MLB players (IF/OF Chad Pinder and OF Mark Canha possibly) and a couple more lower level minor leaguers would be a very enticing package for the Marlins. Plus, it would give the A’s an affordable, all-star level player at a premium position that will help extend their contention window.
In conclusion, Realmuto would be a welcome addition to pretty much every big league club. It isn’t often that a player who is considered the best player at their position at a young age becomes available, either via trade or free agency. Realmuto could very likely be wearing a uniform other than a Marlins jersey by the time Opening Day rolls around. It should be interesting to see how his market unfolds and if he ends up moving elsewhere this offseason.
BaseballNerd 