Harper: Realmuto's walk-off 'wouldn't have happened' if he was on Nats

The Washington Nationals are struggling to keep pace in the playoff race, and it's starting to aggravate Bryce Harper.

Washington dropped back to .500 on Saturday thanks to a 2-1 loss against the Miami Marlins, who took the victory on a walk-off single by catcher - and possible Nationals trade target - J.T. Realmuto.

(Video courtesy: MLB.com)

The irony was seemingly not lost on Harper. Following the game, the superstar appeared to take something of a swipe at Nationals management just days ahead of the deadline, perhaps in an attempt to sway his team into trading for Miami's All-Star backstop.

"If that guy was on our side, it wouldn't have happened," Harper said about Realmuto's game-ending hit, according to Jamal Collier of MLB.com. "So, tough luck."

Washington's 2018 season has been disappointing for a variety of reasons - including Harper's down year at the plate - but the team's biggest problem might well be found behind the plate. Nationals catchers have combined to produce a league-worst minus-0.9 wins above replacement, per Fangraphs, while hitting just .183/.270/.263 with five total home runs.

Realmuto, by contrast, has emerged as the best backstop in baseball. His production - .311/.362/.534 with 13 homers, 23 doubles, and 3.8 fWAR - dwarfs that of Washington's catching corps, and would make him a welcome addition to a team that now sits six games out of first place.

Harper could be onto something, as it was reported Saturday that Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo met with his Marlins counterparts this week to discuss a Realmuto trade. The sides were also apparently in touch during the offseason, though the Marlins ended up holding onto the 27-year-old as he's under team control through 2020.

It was reported Thursday, before word of the Nationals' renewed interest in Realmuto emerged, that ownership had been pushing for Rizzo to sell at the deadline given the team's frustrating season thus far.