The Miami Marlins asked for Ozzie Albies in trade with Braves

The Miami Marlins asked for second baseman Ozzie Albies from the Atlanta Braves in a potential trade for catcher J.T. Realmuto.

We are finding out the Miami Marlins are not only willing to play hardball in trying to keep catcher J.T. Realmuto on their roster, but also with the teams looking to acquire the 27-year-old All-Star catcher. A report by numerous sources regarding a possible trade with the Atlanta Braves would have had to include second baseman Ozzie Albies for a deal to be considered.

The Braves had made no secret of their desire to acquire Realmuto before the team re-signed former Atlanta catcher Brian McCann this past week. Albies is considered a cornerstone player the organization wants to build their rising franchise around.

The Marlins may see the same thing in Albies, who would have become part of the foundation of a very young franchise.

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"Per thescore.com, “Miami asked Atlanta for second baseman Ozzie Albies plus others while discussing a possible trade involving Realmuto, sources told Rosenthal. The ask for Albies led the Braves to believe the Marlins weren’t all that interested in trading the catcher within the division, Rosenthal adds.”"

The Marlins have been upfront with teams calling about Realmuto, stating this is not about acquiring prospects for the future. They will listen to offers, however, MLB players must be included with contracts the team can control.

As Bryan Mcwilliam added, the Braves are not a team desperate for a catcher, but bringing in someone with talent like Realmuto betters their chances of making the postseason once again. Also, the move to trade their top player would leave the Marlins without a bat and backstop who has shown any consistency. They would then search the free agent market to possibly replace their best player.

There aren’t many players on the market right now who could supplant Realmuto’s 21 home runs and 74 RBI from last season.

The franchise still has plenty of teams looking to make a deal and will continue to field offers before making a decision. Remember, this is a deal that does not have to be made. The Marlins still control Realmuto’s future for 2019 and 2020.

The collective thought amongst many baseball writers (and myself) is he is a hot commodity and the organization should seek as much for him now while he is in the prime of his career.

An injury or lack of production could mean his value slips. Also, if he does not have the supporting cast around him like last season, he and his agent could become more vocal about a trade demand, which could become a distraction to the team.