Skip to content

5 takeaways from the J.T. Realmuto trade

Rob Leiter / Getty Images Sport / Getty

It finally happened. After months of speculation, including a very public announcement that he wouldn't sign an extension in Miami, J.T. Realmuto was traded from the Marlins to the Philadelphia Phillies for Jorge Alfaro and prospects on Thursday afternoon.

The massive trade falls just before pitchers and catchers report for spring training. The fallout will be far-reaching, especially in the increasingly competitive National League East.

Here are five takeaways from the trade.

Phillies win the offseason

Rob Leiter / Major League Baseball / Getty

The Phillies have been the most active team this offseason among the legitimate contenders. Here's what they've done so far:

  • Acquired Realmuto from the Marlins
  • Signed closer David Robertson
  • Signed outfielder Andrew McCutchen
  • Acquired Jean Segura, Juan Nicasio, and James Pazos from the Mariners

Those moves reflect a team that isn't satisfied with small steps forward. The 2018 Phillies were on the cusp of contention before bottoming out with a disastrous 8-20 record last September to finish third in the NL East at 80-82.

The 27-year-old Realmuto is coming off his best season. He slashed .277/.340/.484 with 21 home runs while earning his first All-Star appearance. He also finished second among catchers with at least 400 plate appearances in OPS (.825) and wRC+ (126).

Adding Realmuto before pitchers and catchers report gives the Phillies a chance to ease him in over a full training camp. His familiarity with the team after playing in the division could be beneficial as well. The deal also works in the Marlins' favor, as they avoid what could have been a circus throughout the spring.

Even if this trade is the last of the Phillies' moves and they don't sign Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Dallas Keuchel, or Craig Kimbrel, their offseason is already a success.

Phillies might not be done, though

Icon Sports Wire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

Phillies general manager Matt Klentak told Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports that acquiring Realmuto won't remove the team from the free-agent market. Which brings us back to Harper, Machado, Keuchel, and Kimbrel.

The Phillies aren't a lock to add any of them, and it remains to be seen if Realmuto's arrival leads to good fortune on that front, but it's important to see Klentak isn't giving up.

Klentak is in a good position to make another significant financial commitment, too. Before the Realmuto trade, Cot's Contracts had the Phillies' Opening Day payroll projected at $124.7 million. With Realmuto set to earn $5.9 million, his salary won't prevent another major addition.

Although adding Harper or Machado would be ideal, the team's biggest hole now might be in the rotation. Aaron Nola is a legitimate ace, Jake Arrieta is still capable of putting together quality innings, and Nick Pivetta is poised to take the next step. After that, Philadelphia has the erratic Vince Velasquez, and question marks at the fifth spot, which could be occupied by Enyel De Los Santos, Zach Eflin, or Jerad Eickhoff.

Marlins get their best return yet

Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

While the Phillies definitively upgraded behind the plate, the Marlins reloaded at catcher with Jorge Alfaro. Alfaro, 25, has 143 major-league games under his belt, slashing .270/.327/.407 with 15 home runs in that time. He's still pre-arb, and is under team control until 2024. He was also one of several recent Phillies prospects to land on MLB Pipeline's top 100 prior to graduating from the minors.

Also on that list was hard-throwing righty Sixto Sanchez, who's the 19th-best prospect entering the 2019 season, according to a composite listing of multiple prospect assessments.

When the Marlins started their fire sale after the 2017 season, it was foolish to predict that Realmuto would get a more substantial return in a trade than Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Dee Gordon, or Marcell Ozuna, but here we are.

Traded Acquired
Giancarlo Stanton Starlin Castro-Jorge Guzman-Jose Devers
Christian Yelich Lewis Brinson-Monte Harrison-Jordan Yamamoto-Isan Diaz
Marcell Ozuna Sandy Alcantara-Magneuris Sierra-Zac Gallen-Daniel Castano
J.T. Realmuto Sixto Sanchez-Jorge Alfaro-Will Stewart
Dee Gordon Nick Neidert-Robert Dugger-Christopher Torres

Stanton's trade was mostly a salary dump, so the return being less than impressive is understandable. But Yelich, the 2018 MVP, brought in a lesser haul than Realmuto, partly due to Lewis Brinson's underwhelming rookie campaign. Now, Alfaro will be Miami's Opening Day catcher, and Sanchez immediately slots in as the team's top prospect.

For better or worse, the players acquired in those deals form the young core Miami will build upon in its attempted return to relevance, along with international signing Victor Victor Mesa and a couple draftees. However, the Marlins still have only two prospects on the composite top 100.

The Marlins may not be done dealing, but their best pieces are long gone. Starlin Castro and Jose Urena could garner interest at some point, but don't expect much coming back to south Florida. Additionally, Wei-Yin Chen is a sunk cost as he returns on a $20-million player option with another looming at $22 million for 2020, and a conditional option for 2021 worth $16 million. That contract isn't going anywhere.

The team's lack of remaining trade capital meant it had to stick the landing with the Realmuto swap after receiving some underwhelming offers over the last year or so, and it looks like the Marlins did just that.

Catchers on short supply

Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Realmuto finding a new home also highlights how little is left at the catching position for teams looking to upgrade. On the free-agent front, Matt Wieters, Martin Maldonado, and Stephen Vogt are the most appealing names, especially after the Mets inked Devin Mesoraco to a minor-league deal.

Maybe the Boston Red Sox would move one of Blake Swihart, Christian Vazquez, or Sandy Leon in a trade, or the Pittsburgh Pirates could shop Francisco Cervelli around.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and Cincinnati Reds - all linked to Realmuto at various points - might be hard pressed to find reinforcements now.

The NL is wide open

Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

Somehow, despite all their moves, the Phillies won't be automatically anointed supreme rulers of the National League or the NL East, even if they're successful in luring Harper or Machado to Philadelphia.

To review, the Atlanta Braves signed 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson to play third base, a fine addition for the defending NL East champs. The Washington Nationals may lose Harper, but signing southpaw Patrick Corbin bolsters an already impressive pitching staff. Meanwhile, the Mets will have one of the MLB's best rotations if their pitchers stay healthy, and adding Edwin Diaz, Robinson Cano, Wilson Ramos, and Jed Lowrie addresses core needs.

And that doesn't even take the rest of the National League into account. The St. Louis Cardinals traded for Paul Goldschmidt, the Milwaukee Brewers landed Yasmani Grandal and are expecting Jimmy Nelson to re-emerge as an ace following an extended absence due to injury, and the Chicago Cubs still field a playoff-ready roster. The Cincinnati Reds have improved, too, and the Dodgers and Colorado Rockies will be duking it out in the NL West.

The Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks appear to be the only NL teams in the early stages of a rebuild. Compare that to the American League, where you can almost draw up a playoff bracket already, and there's a ton of intrigue surrounding the Senior Circuit for 2019.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox