On Monday afternoon, reports surfaced surrounding the trade market for Miami Marlins’ star catcher, JT Realmuto, saying that three finalists had been identified. And, of these three, the Dodgers were named a finalist after a long offseason of rumors and speculation.
The other two teams that were mentioned in a tweet posted by Fancred baseball writer, Jon Heyman, on Monday were the San Diego Padres and the Cincinnati Reds. Both teams finished last in their divisions in 2018, each team hauling 95 and 96 losses, respectively. Seeing these two teams looking to improve for the future isn’t too far-fetched, the questioning lies in why these two teams would bite at this deal.
While the Dodgers already made the acquisition of a new catcher with the trade for Russell Martin, that move should not prohibit the Dodgers from being making the strongest push for Realmuto between the three named finalists. With that as well, the Dodgers tote the best depth of talent at catcher in all of baseball’s farm systems, making it so that the Dodgers should feel no panic to make a deal happen for Realmuto that could hurt them.
Even at only 27 years old, JT Realmuto is widely considered baseball’s best catcher, and is one of the most highly regarded assets on the market this offseason. Along with high praise however, come critique, and many analysts have stated that Realmuto is a very poor defensive catcher. Some writers have went as far as to say that Reamuto’s substandard defense would keep him from going to the Dodgers, as the team is very heavy on defensive analytics.
The news of the finalists emerging does not mean a deal is already in place, but one could be nearing. Only time will tell who the Marlins will deal this star to as the rebuild continues down in Miami.
