The Nationals would love to add J.T. Realmuto before the deadline, but the Marlins are demanding a massive return for their star catcher.
J.T. Realmuto is just the sort of player who can help change the Nationals from pretenders to contenders. The Marlins clearly understand their catcher’s value. That’s why they want Washington to pony up their top two minor league prospects if they want to secure the deal.
Jon Heyman reports that the Nationals are willing to part with either Victor Robles or Carter Kieboom, but not both. That stance is preventing the Nats from replacing their weakest position player, Pedro Severino, with the Marlins’ best player. Negotiations are at a standstill currently but that could certainly change ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline.
Marlins fans should applaud their front office for playing hardball. Realmuto is a star in his prime. The fact that he’s plays one of MLB’s thinnest positions only adds to his potential trade value. The Marlins clearly understand he is an immensely valuable commodity. The fact that he still has multiple years of team control left on his contract also makes him an attractive trade asset.
nats and marlins haven't closed door on Realmuto, so there could still be talks until Tuesday. last we heard, nats would consider including Robles or possibly kieboom, and marlins sought both for baseball's best catcher.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 29, 2018
The unfortunate truth for the Marlins is that Realmuto is their best trade asset by a wide margin. They can make other deals on the periphery, but this is their one chance to set their rebuild in a positive direction. In other words, they should be asking for the moon in return for their All-Star catcher. Not doing so would be front office malpractice.
Of course, that doesn’t mean the Nationals should hand over their top two prospects and call it a day. Their front office must realize the position their counterparts are in. Miami doesn’t necessarily have to deal Realmuto this week, but they’d like to move him if they can get significant young talent. The Nationals are in a position to meet their demands, but they shouldn’t rush to overpay.
Expect the Nationals to resist including both Robles and Kieboom right up until the deadline. If the Marlins relent and accept one or the other, a deal could materialize quickly. If they don’t, the Nationals are going to be left with a really tough decision in the final hours before the trade window slams shut.