January 10th, 2019 at 1:30 pm 
by Ron Cervenka Late Thursday morning it was being widely reported that the Dodgers are among six teams that are currently engaged in “substantive discussions” with the Miami Marlins over All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto
“According to a source, the Braves, Dodgers, Astros, Padres, Rays and Reds are considered the front-runners to acquire Realmuto. As it’s been all off-season, the Marlins’ asking price remains extremely high,” writes MLB.com Marlins beat writer Joe Frisaro. “In return, Miami seeks a top prospect and more. In some cases, it would like a catcher with some big league experience to work with a young pitching staff,” Frisaro added.
As Dodger fans know, former Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal agreed to a one-year / $18.25 million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers late Wednesday night; a mere $350,000 more than the $17.9 million Qualifying Offer the Dodgers extended to the La Habana, Cuba native and Cincinnati Reds 2010 First-Round draft pick to remain with the 2018 National League champions.
Ironically, it was the Brewers who the Dodgers ultimately beat to get to the 2018 World Series, this in spite of Grandal’s atrocious 2018 postseason, during which he was relegated to the bench behind equally atrocious back-up catcher Austin Barnes, who owned the worst batting average on the team during the 2018 postseason at .089.
With Grandal now gone and with Barnes now the (unofficial) everyday starting catcher, and with Dodgers (and MLB’s) top-ranked catching prospects Keibert Ruiz and Will Smith (probably) still one full season away from the majors, Realmuto would be a great fit for the Dodgers, although acquiring him would most likely cost them either Ruiz or Smith in a trade with Miami, among other top prospects.
Then again, there is certainly the possibility that Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman might reconsider his earlier proclamation that 20-year-old Ruiz and / or 23-year-old Smith will not be in contention for a spot on the Dodgers Opening Day 25-man roster. Friedman may now elect to do so instead of trading away the farm – and a boatload of money – for soon-to-be (on March 18) 28-year-old Realmuto.
Realmuto is entering his second season of arbitration with the Marlins and is coming off the best season of his five-year MLB career, during which he posted an excellent slash-line of .277 / .340 / .484 / for an outstanding .825 OPS. He also slugged 21 home runs and drove in 74, as compared to Grandal’s 24 and 68 respectively in 2018.
The MLB arbitration deadline is 1 p.m. (ET) on Friday, which means that a decision to either keep or trade the Del City Oklahoma native and Marlins 2010 third-round draft pick out of Carl Albert High School in Midwest City, Oklahoma is imminent.
Stay tuned…
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Moot as long as they keep asking for Bellinger, which is what they are doing and what the Dodgers will not do,.
True, but Marlins should also realize that Realmuto would rather be elsewhere rather than remain with a Marlins team that he saw trade off 3 good OF the year before along with others.
We actually don’t know that they keep asking for Bellinger. It was “reported” they wanted him in the deal, and probably true, but the Dodgers have so many trade chips to offer why would they be stubborn about just 1 player? I’m always a little skeptical of reports unless they come from FO quotes or at least “insider information”. Too much of what is written is just journalistic speculation recycled enough times everyone believes it as fsct.
Perhaps I am just drinking Friedman’s Cool-Aide, but I hope Dodgers pass on Realmuto and keep both Smith and Ruiz. As I have written before, there are younger guys out there that I believe Dodgers could reasonably acquire to share catching duties with Barnes in 2019: Luke Maile (Toronto) for Andrew Toles and Brock Stewart; or, Michael Perez (Tampa) for Ed Rios and Brock Stewart; or, Blake Swihart (Boston) for Conner Wong. Sure, it brings in more catching to a catcher deep organization, but any of these guys, or Barnes could be used later to acquire other needs. Fix the need for a hitter who crushes LH pitching by trading Pederson and prospect like Cristian Santana to the Tigers for Nick Castellanos.
If it’s drinking the Friedman Cool-Aide to pass on Realmuto, pass the bottle.
As you state, there are many options for a backup catcher while we wait and watch for our stud catching prospects to mature. That’s our future and our present should be catching defense with the hope Barnes can hit like 2017 until one of those prospects is ready.
Realmuto would be nice, but at what cost? When you have six teams bidding it’s going to be very high. Happily, we’ve yet to see Friedman get in the middle of a fight like that.
Looking more and more like we’re going with a lot platooning and positional versatility in 2019. Pitching and defense accompanied by “enough offense”.
We still need some left handed pitching mashers don’t we? Castellanos? Not unless Detroit gets real. How about free-agent 27 yr old Avisail Garcia for the part-time left field righty bat. Give him $3M if he loses 20-30 pounds and he reports to Puig’s hamstring trainer. He’s only one yr removed from a huge year.
Was hoping for a return of Dozier, but at $9M? Still like Marwin Gonzalez as a versatile right-handed bat and still dreaming we get Machado. But Dodgers may just reward Hernandez with more playing time.
Castellanos is the guy IMO. Garcia — only if he will take a split minor/major contract with ST invite and not on 40 man roster unless he makes the team out of ST. I like Marwin Gonzalez, but not needed if team acquires Castellanos (unless Taylor or Hernandez go to Tigers in the deal).
All things equal Castellanos would be the guy, but things aren’t equal. Rumors are that Detroit’s asking price is unrealistic. We’ll see.
Garcia taking a split minor/major contract with a ST invite would be awesome and a Friedman move. Love to see it happen.
Right now we have the following twelve position players on the roster:
Barnes, R handed batter
Martin, R handed batter
Freese, R handed batter
Muncy, L handed batter
Seager, L handed batter
Turner, R handed batter
Bellinger, L handed batter
Hernandez, R handed batter
Pederson, L handed batter
Taylor, R handed batter
Toles, L handed batter
Verdugo, L handed batter
All of these guys are pretty much a lock to make the 25 man roster except Toles. What are we going with 12 or 13 position players? Are we done?
#FireFriedman has the #Dodgers in every rumor about available players. Really doubt anything happens.… https://t.co/aampvJZ9Jr
I’m just gonna “stay tuned” as Ron suggests.
Just don’t give up too much for Realmuto. As good as he is he really only amounts to a one season (or maybe less) rental with all the catching talent the Dodgers have.
Of course, they could trade him next year, but would they get as much value as they give up this year?
At Bat reports Dodgers traded for Russell Martin. Didn’t say who went the other way.
They sent minor leaguers right-handed pitcher Andrew Sopko and infielder Ronny Brito.