One area that the Los Angeles Dodgers are certain to address this winter is the catcher position. With Yasmani Grandal expected to sign elsewhere in free agency, the club has been connected to a multitude of alternatives, particularly on the trade front.
The most intriguing name that has come up is Miami Marlins All-Star J.T. Realmuto, who has consistently been linked to the Dodgers since the beginning of the offseason.
Los Angeles isn’t alone in their pursuit, however, as other powerhouses such as the Houston Astros and New York Yankees are believed to have inquired on Realmuto as well.
While some considered Houston to be the frontrunner to eventually acquire Realmuto, Marlins executives have reportedly denied that they are in the lead at this time, via Jon Heyman of Fancred:
The Marlins are busy talking to teams about J.T. Realmuto, the de facto best catcher in the game. The Astros, Dodgers and Yankees are among many teams that have showed interest. Houston is seen as a possible destination, but as of Tuesday, Marlins people denied the Astro were in the lead.
The Astros entered the offseason with both Brian McCann and Martin Maldonado reaching free agency, so it only makes sense that the club has been strongly tied to Realmuto thus far.
Houston certainly has the prospects to complete a trade, but whether one comes to fruition remains to be seen. One fallback option was taken off the board on Friday when the Cleveland Indians traded Yan Gomes to the Washington Nationals.
So while one solid option is off the table, there remains a number of quality backstops reportedly available in addition to Realmuto. Other catchers that could still be on the move include the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Francisco Cervelli and Toronto Blue Jays’ Russell Martin.
As for the Dodgers, their interest in Realmuto could be driven up in the wake of the Cleveland Indians trading another reported target — Yan Gomes — to the Washington Nationals.
