The longest-running rumor of the offseason has been about the Marlins wanting to trade catcher J.T. Realmuto. Heck, it’s been longer than the offseason. That chatter started early last year. For all the chatter, though, there has been nothing really close to actual movement on that front. Once or twice a week we hear something about vague discussions, but that’s mostly it.
Maybe that changes today.
Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported this morning that a potential trade of J.T. Realmuto to the Phillies is “gaining momentum.” Meanwhile, Craig Mish of Sirius/XM tweeted a little while ago that there is “finally some legit progress on a Realmuto deal,” and said that he is expecting Realmuto to be traded today.
To where? Maybe, like Morosi said, the Phillies, who are known to be talking. Yesterday we heard that the Marlins wanted top pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez included in a Realmuto deal. That seems like a super high price to pay and I question whether Philly would do that, but I suppose we’ll see. The Braves, Padres, Dodgers and Reds have all been rumored to be in on Realmuto as well.
Realmuto hit .277/.340/.484 with 21 home runs and 74 RBI over 125 games last season and plays solid defense. He is under contractual control through 2020. In an era where good catchers are astonishingly hard to find, that all makes him the best in the game, more or less.
