Washington Nationals: 5 potential catching candidates
By Drew Douglas
J.T. Realmuto
Now that the Marlins have been sold to a new ownership group headlined by Derek Jeter, they have begun a full-fledged rebuild. They have already traded Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna, and Dee Gordon, and they may not be done just yet.
Perhaps the next significant Marlin to be traded this off-season will be J.T. Realmuto, who could be a great fit with the Nats. Joe Frisaro of MLB.com recently reported that the Nats are interested in the 26-year-old catcher, and a trade, although not yet imminent, appears very possible.
Realmuto is among the best catchers in the game, and is coming off of the best season of his career. In 141 games in 2017, he owned a .278/.332/.451 slash line to go with 17 homers. Adding this offensive production to the Nats’ already-potent lineup would create arguably the most dangerous offense in the league.
In addition to raking, Realmuto is also one of the most athletic catchers around. He stole eight bases in 2017, which was second-most among catchers, He also had a 14.5 FRAA (Fielding Runs Above Average), according to Baseball Prospectus, which is considered excellent and ranked fourth among NL catchers.
While Realmuto is a terrific player, one of his most attractive traits is his contract. 2018 will be his first arbitration eligible season, so he is under team control for three more years. He is also extremely affordable. He is certainly due for a raise, but he made just $562,500 in 2017.
It would take a lot for the Nats to pry Realmuto away from Miami, especially since the two teams are in the same division, but it could be worth it. Excellent, affordable catchers are rarely available, and a similar situation may never arise again.