The J.T. Realmuto saga appeared to have ended when the Braves signed Brian McCann to a one-year deal earlier this offseason. Contrary to that belief, Craig Mish has stood firm that the Braves are still among the most interested for the All-Star catcher.
Don’t listen to noise coming out of Atlanta or anyone saying they are not in on Realmuto. I keep telling you guys. From the beginning. Don’t let the noise distract you. The Braves want him.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) December 12, 2018
Realmuto % Opening Day 2019
(Entertainment Purposes Only)Braves 30%
Mets 30%
Reds 30%
Yankees 5%
Phillies 5%— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) December 12, 2018
Jon Heyman confirmed the rumors not too long after.
Reds have jumped into Realmuto mix, as @CraigMish reported. Braves also in touch.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 12, 2018
The Marlins have placed a high price tag on Realmuto, and rightfully so, as he’s the best catcher in baseball, only 28 years old and still has multiple years of control remaining. That’s why names such as Ozzie Albies, Mike Soroka and Sean Newcomb have popped up in rumored trade offers.
Recently, however, the Marlins seem a little more keen on moving him and may have dropped their price a little bit. Also, that whole “Miami won’t trade him within the NL East” storyline seems to have faded. Mish mentions both the Mets and Phillies as other possible suitors.
In Mish’s most recent tweet, he informs us Austin Riley may be the centerpiece of a potential deal. Riley was currently ranked the top prospect in the Braves system according to Baseball America.
Sources indicate Braves appear willing to part with top prospect Austin Riley for Realmuto but I do not believe that trade would also include the previous names I mentioned (Soroka/Newcomb). Marlins have held firm on multiple players for J.T.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) December 12, 2018
Riley would be a tough prospect to let go of, but the Braves may feel like they already have the left side of the infield set for the future with Camargo, Swanson, and now Donaldson in the cards.
And for those of you wondering what the Braves would do with three catchers. Mish says the Fish are looking for a veteran presence behind the plate once Realmuto is moved. In any deal, Tyler Flowers could head to Miami in return.
There are indications that the Marlins do want a veteran presence at Catcher with their young staff. Holaday/Wallach certainly would be in that mix & are great receivers but potentially as a backup to either a player via trade or FA acquisition.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) December 12, 2018
UPDATE: The Braves appear to be slight favorites to land Realmuto, according to Mish, and Austin Riley is indeed in play in a potential deal.
Sources : Braves appear to be a slight favorite to land Realmuto. Austin Riley is on the table. Lots of moving parts. Mets & Yanks are still in & probably need to outdo ATL to get J.T. Reds have fallen back. TB/SD def in but longshots. Not imminent.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) December 15, 2018
Update: Mark Bowman of MLB.com is putting to rest the Craig Mish rumors:
Source: The Braves have not had any discussions regarding J.T. Realmuto within the past five days and they do not plan to have any further talks with the Marlins regarding the All-Star catcher.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) December 16, 2018
Even though Bowman said this, the signing of Wilson Ramos by the Mets changes the landscape of the market for the All-Star catcher. With the Mets now out of the picture, it appears the Marlins high asking price will not be met. That could leave the Fish circling back to the Braves if they do indeed have the best offer on the table, or they could continue to remain stubborn in regards to trading Realmuto inside the NL East.