Marlins already linked to Astros, Dodgers in J.T. Realmuto deal

Now that the news is out that Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto wants to be traded, there are plenty of suitors that will be linked to the All-Star. Which team will put together a deal that makes the organization jump?

That didn’t take long, now did it? As the news that Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto wanted out of South Florida, the scramble to see where he would wind up began. No sooner had writers pushed the send button on multiple stories surrounding the message his agent Jeff Barry sent to the organization on MLB Network Radio, there was already a list of teams thought to be probable contenders to land his services.

The Marlins may want to slow play this move as they control Realmuto’s contract for the next two years, but if the Internet had its way, this deal would have been done yesterday.

“Last winter, the Miami Marlins hung out a “for sale” sign and traded luminaries such as Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich. Yet they held on to catcher J.T. Realmuto,” Jacob Shafer of Bleacher Report wrote.

More from Marlins News

• Why didn’t the Miami Marlins sign JDM?
• Miami Marlins rejected Boston‘s trade offer
• Miami Marlins are pursuing Michael Conforto
• Miami Marlins need to spend to win
• Miami Marlins can’t afford to botch this trade

Holding onto one of the best catchers in the Majors was thought to be the right move, but if the team does move forward and trade him, the loss of Realmuto will mean the entire core of players that made up the 2017 Marlins roster will have vanished. It is by design the front office and CEO Derek Jeter wanted Realmuto for the long haul.

Regardless of numerous stories about trade offers and deals in the works at the trade deadline back in July, there is a reason the 27-year-old is still a member of this franchise.

The opportunity for Realmuto to make the Marlins his team is there. There is a chance he could become the biggest fish in a small market pond. Instead, with the team losing for the ninth consecutive season, the former third-round pick in 2010 wants to move on to bigger things and possibly play for a contender.

In theory, it makes plenty of sense. The Marlins, however, dictate what happens next. Realmuto is eligible for arbitration for a second season and figures to make in the neighborhood of $6 million in 2019.

As of now, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros make the most sense in putting together a deal with Miami. We all know there will be others asking what it would take to remove Realmuto from Miami’s clutches.

The thought of sending another high-profile player to a contender is gut-wrenching for the fans who watch their heroes pack up and leave.

“Multiple teams could look for an upgrade behind the dish this winter, so expect the Marlins phone lines to light up if and when they dangle their All-Star backstop,” Shafer added.

The Dodgers present a chance for Miami to come away with top-level prospects and keep Realmuto away from the Washington Nationals, the Marlins rival in the National League East.

Jason Wilson of thescore.com believes the Dodgers, like Shafer, will be a contender to make a deal.

“The Dodgers aren’t about to exit the contender’s arena any time soon and their incumbent backstop Yasmani Grandal is no longer under contract. Realmuto would be an upgrade over Grandal, who has been a nice source of power from the position during his tenure in Los Angeles,” he wrote.

If the Marlins want to make a clean break from the Realmuto marriage, a trip to the southwest and out of the National League makes for an interesting proposition. The Astros were World Series contenders once again this year and still have plenty of talent to get there again in 2019.

“The Astros hold a $15-million club option on 34-year-old Brian McCann, and it doesn’t include a buyout,” Wilson writes. “If the Astros decline the option, which seems likely, going after Realmuto makes too much sense. Additionally, Martin Maldonado – acquired from the Angels at the deadline – is hitting free agency as well, leaving Max Stassi as the only catcher remaining.”

Like the Nationals last season, Houston was in the mix to offer prospects to Miami before the MLB Trade Deadline but no deal was ever agreed to.