It’s the trade that never ends, and we should – I guess – just be thankful that the Cubs are not involved. This way, we can merely be passive observers … as the Marlins send another stud to the NL Central for a probably terrible return.
JT Realmuto may be the best overall catcher in the game, and he could be coming soon to an upswing contender in a division near you:
Dodgers and Padres have been at the forefront of the Realmuto talks in recent days. However, word now is that a 3rd team — believed to be the Reds — is also making a push.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 28, 2019
Reds are indeed very much in Realmuto mix. Cincy prospects Hunter Greene, Nick Senzel and Taylor Trammell are thought of interest to Miami, though Reds likely prefer not to include any of those 3. Possibility vet catcher Tucker Barnhart could be included in potential deal as well
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 28, 2019
Reds are making progress. In Realmuto talks, but there’s word of caution: not at finish line yet.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 28, 2019
Realmuto has been a hot trade candidate for over a year now, and even as Spring Training approaches, it seems a lock that he’ll finally be dealt this time around. As Jon Heyman notes, it had lately seemed like it was down to the Dodgers and Padres, but with the Reds joining the mix, it’s kinda just back to the same old “nobody really knows anything” mode.
If the Reds do land Realmuto, it better freaking sting. Because adding Realmuto to a club that was already a borderline contender in the Central, thanks to an aggressive offseason, would bump the Reds right up there into the zone where some good bounces throughout the year could net them 88 to 92 wins. And in 2019, that could very well be enough to win the Central.