Could J.T. Realmuto be following in the footsteps of Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich?
No, an MVP is not definitely in his future, but saying adios from the Marlins sure seems probable. In fact, a long winter's worth of speculation may be coming to an end shortly with reports that a trade involving the Marlins catcher is close.
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The Realmuto sweepstakes haven't exactly captivated the baseball world like those of Bryce Harper or Manny Machado, but the quest for his services has dragged out just as long.
Several teams have interest in Realmuto, and for good reason, as he provides value at a position that isn't among the strongest or deepest in the majors. Since 2016, Realmuto leads all catchers with a 12.3 WAR. He is also under team control until 2021. Basically, every MLB team should want him, so what's taking so long? For one, the Marlins' steep asking price — they asked for Cody Bellinger from the Dodgers — has been a big reason talks have stalled.
With that said, here are five teams that would make sense as fits as the Realmuto derby reaches its breaking point.
Cincinnati Reds
The Reds have been one of the more aggressive teams in the Realmuto sweepstakes, as they seemingly view him as a significant enough upgrade over current catcher and defensive standout Tucker Barnhart, who slashed .258/.332/.384 in 2018. Fancred's Jon Heyman reported on Monday that the teams were "making progress" on a deal that could involve prospects Taylor Trammell and/or Jonathan India, the No. 2 and 4 ranked prospects in the Reds system, per MLB Pipeline.
Cincinnati has spent the whole winter upgrading and have acquired veterans Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Alex Wood, Tanner Roark and Sonny Gray. How this helps them compete in the difficult NL Central remains to be seen, but Realmuto would certainly help make them more menacing.
Their loaded lineup, which features Joey Votto, Eugenio Suarez, and Scooter Gennett finished in the top 10 in the majors in batting average and on base percentage last season, and Realmuto's presence would further the Reds' quest to return to relevance.
San Diego Padres
An offseason renaissance of sorts for San Diego has led to rumors of its interest in Manny Machado in addition to its Realmuto pursuit. Austin Hedges took most of the starts behind the plate last year, but Francisco Mejia — one of many top prospects rising through the Friars' ranks — looms as a possible future backstop, unless of course he is dealt for Realmuto.
With 10 top 100 prospects — six of whom reached at least Double A last season — the Padres are capable of outbidding just about anybody. If they can get away with trading just one or two of those 10, the Padres still have Eric Hosmer, Realmuto and the possibility of Machado or Mike Moustakas to go along with its star-studded farm system, making A.J. Preller and Co.'s dream of contending seem closer to a reality.
Los Angeles Dodgers
After losing Yasmani Grandal to the Brewers, the Dodgers have one glaring hole on their World Series team: catcher. What do you know, that's where Realmuto plays!
It may seem like a match made in heaven, but Realmuto to the Dodgers may come down to whether they want to focus their resources on a backstop or another starting pitcher, say Corey Kluber.
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The current Dodgers depth chart consists of Austin Barnes, who had just nine extra-base hits and a .619 OPS last season, and Russell Martin, who hit a career low .194 in 2018. Realmuto won't serve as much of a drop-off from Grandal — in fact, he may be an upgrade — allowing the 2017 and 2018 NL champs to pick up where they left off.
Since it doesn't appear Bellinger is going anywhere, outfielder Alex Verdugo, the team's No. 1 prospect, would be a logical headliner in a deal for the 2018 All-Star.
Houston Astros
The Astros are in the same boat as the Dodgers, with the catcher position standing as undoubtedly their biggest weakness, yet a similar dilemma about whether to spend on another catcher versus a pitching upgrade is worth pondering. Catcher Robinson Chirinos signed with the Astros earlier in the winter, but his 2018 numbers (.222/.338/.419) may make him more attractive as a good backup rather than a starter.
Houston can offer some of the highest-upside prospects, namely Kyle Tucker and Forrest Whitley, who are both ranked in the top 10 in the league, which makes their pursuit similar to another NL West team, the Padres, in that the fit is there but a deal is dependent on parting with elite prospects.
If Houston focuses its attention on free agent Dallas Keuchel, who has played his whole career with the Astros, it may allow another team to swoop in for Realmuto.
Atlanta Braves
Even though they have reportedly been in discussions with the Fish, the Braves seem like one of the bigger longshots to land Realmuto. With 10 top 100 prospects (sensing a theme?), there is plenty for them to offer, but the possibilities become a little murkier when you consider how the Braves would fit Realmuto in their catching picture.
The Braves have $6 million committed to franchise legend Brian McCann, who returned to Hotlanta this offseason, and Tyler Flowers, a serviceable backup last year. Adding a third catcher to that mix doesn't seem to top their list of priorities.