While the Miami Marlins were initially slow to act on his request, they now seem resolved and motivated to trade J.T. Realmuto, who made it clear he has no desire to be part of a rebuild.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been among several teams to check in with Miami on the All-Star backstop, though it’s not believed they gained much traction toward completing a deal. The New York Mets and Yankees ignited the Winter Meetings with the potential of a three-team trade but that too didn’t manifest.
One report suggested the Dodgers had fallen behind other clubs in their aggressiveness toward completing a deal. However, they appear to be part of a field that was pared down, according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald:
The field for J.T. Realmuto is essentially down to six teams: Reds, Mets, Rays, Braves, Dodgers and Padres. But with Winter Meetings wrapping up, no trade expected today. Stay tuned.
— clarkspencer (@clarkspencer) December 13, 2018
One delay in a potential trade for Realmuto being completed is the Marlins’ reported insistence that Cody Bellinger be included. It corroborates what emerged in late November, when Miami was said to be seeking Bellinger along with Yasiel Puig and Alex Verdugo, among other pieces.
Although the Dodgers have interest in Realmuto, they certainly would not be inclined to part with Bellinger in such a trade. Verdugo may be more of a possibility, and Puig is available on the trade market as well.
