Fancred’s Jon Heyman reports that the Dodgers and Padres have been “at the forefront” of trade talks involving Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto in recent days. A third team, the Reds, have also gotten involved. SiriusXM’s Craig Mish adds that the Padres are “making a late charge” for Realmuto and the Braves are also on the periphery. In Mish’s words, “The final chapter of the saga is upon us.”
After free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, Realmuto was arguably the most prized player who was expected to change teams this offseason. Thus far, nothing has happened, but the expectation is still that he will be wearing a new uniform at the start of spring training.
Realmuto, 27, made his first All-Star team last season, finishing the year batting .277/.340/.484 with 21 home runs, 74 RBI, and 74 runs scored in 531 plate appearances. According to FanGraphs’ version of WAR, no catcher (min. 1,000 PA) has been more valuable over the last three years. Realmuto leads at 12.3 followed by Buster Posey (10.0) and Yasmani Grandal (9.0). The team that ultimately lands Realmuto will certainly be making a significant upgrade behind the plate.