The Mets got tired of the Marlins' absurd asking price for catcher J.T. Realmuto via trade and moved on by signing Wilson Ramos instead.
It seems the Marlins haven't made much progress since the Mets bolted, but there's still a possibility Realmuto will be traded to their crosstown rivals, says Craig Mish of SiriusXM.
Mish currently has the Yankees and Rays tied for the second-highest odds in acquiring Realmuto, trailing the Braves.
Realmuto % Opening Day 2019
- Craig Mish (@CraigMish) December 20, 2018
(Entertainment Purposes Only)
Braves 35%
Rays 15%
Yankees 15%
Padres 10%
Reds 10%
Astros 10%
Field 5%
Mish noted the Astros are refusing to meet the Marlins' price, while the Rays, Reds, and Padres would all need to offer more in order for things to "get serious."
The Marlins have been placing an insanely high and at times laughable price tag on Realmuto, reportedly asking the Mets for two of Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto, or Amed Rosario, and asking the Dodgers for Cody Bellinger. There was also a potential deal that could have sent Noah Syndergaard to Miami for Realmuto, but the Mets didn't want to do it, SNY's Andy Martino noted.
Gary Sanchez is likely a player the Marlins would want in a Realmuto deal, but the Yankees GM Brian Cashman has ruled out trading Sanchez this offseason.
While Realmuto is the best catcher in baseball, he has that title by default in a way. That is to take nothing away from him -- he is a very good player and could still be trending up. But there is something to be said about the catching around the league when the best of the best has a career triple-slash of .279/.327/.442.
Realmuto also brings value on defense and in the clubhouse, but with only two years of team control left, he should not command the kind of ask the Marlins have been demanding. Sanchez, meanwhile, has four more years of team control.
With Realmuto wanting out of Miami and with the Marlins nowhere near contention for 2019 (and not expected to be anywhere near contention in 2020, either), keeping Realmuto for now even if they intend to trade him during the season would seem foolish. It also comes with an enormous risk.
If the Marlins keep Realmuto and he suffers a serious injury, his value could take an enormous hit. There's also the fact that potentially interested teams could fill their need for a catcher between now and then. But hey, do you, Jeets.