Top Five Trade Destinations for J.T. Realmuto

Assuming a J.T. Realmuto trade ends up happening this offseason, which some around baseball perceive as being almost a certainty given the comments of Realmuto's agent, Jeff Berry, last week on MLB Network Radio, as well as the state of the Marlins franchise, you can guarantee there will be a long list of interested teams calling up the Marlins and inquiring about Realmuto's services. With that being said, some teams look like a natural fit both on the field, as well as on paper, while other's solely fit, into the category of, looking like a good fit on paper and not a good fit on the field.

As you can imagine, the Marlins have set the asking price for Realmuto extremely high, considering he is practically, their highest asset left on their 25-man roster. Last winter, Realmuto was on the trade market, but no team came close to offering the Marlins, what they wanted. If you recall, the Washington Nationals inquired and the Marlins wanted the Nationals number one prospect, Victor Robles, plus more. So it will be interesting to see if the narrative changes this offseason and if the Marlins grant Realmuto his wish of being traded.

Here are five logical teams that could afford to trade for J.T. Realmuto and five teams with natural fits both on paper as well as on the field.

• Atlanta Braves - Out of all 30 teams, this has to be the best fit and the one that makes a ton of sense logically. The Braves outperformed expectations last season and will likely look to make a bold splash or two either via free agency or on the trade market this offseason. Keep in mind, their General Manager, Alex Anthopoulos, doesn't shy away from big moves either as illustrated by the moves he made during his tenure with the Toronto Blue Jays and now manages a team with a treasure trove farm system. In addition, Atlanta only has Tyler Flowers penciled into the catcher position heading into next season and haven't indicated what they plan on doing with free agent, Kurt Suzuki. Suzuki turned 35 in October which could mean that the Braves elect to go down the path of the younger, J.T. Realmuto. 
• Milwaukee Brewers - Ever since J.T. Realmuto's name was first mentioned within trade rumors, the Milwaukee Brewers have always been one of the teams lying in the weeds continually monitoring his market, to see if a deal could be made. To this point, the asking price has been too high for the Brewers liking, but that doesn't mean that Miami and Milwaukee can't reconvene this offseason and try to find a deal that fits both parties needs. The best part is that Milwaukee still has a very loaded farm system and one that they can easily pull prospects from to include in a package along with big league talent that could help the Marlins out as well. As indicated last week, Marlins General Manager, Michael Hill, made it known that they team would like to lengthen it's lineup this offseason so maybe someone like Keon Broxton or Domingo Santana gets included in the package along with prospects.  
• Los Angeles Dodgers - The Dodgers will definitely have a void behind the dish heading into next season and would certainly inquire about Realmuto, if the Marlins elect to go that route. According to MLB Pipeline, the Dodgers currently have the 10th best farm system in the game and would be able to pay the price it would take to pry him away. The Dodgers best prospect, Alex Verdugo, could be a piece that the Marlins would target and could help fit the profile of being the power hitter that Miami is in the market for. In addition, Verdugo ranks number 32 on the Top 100 Prospects in baseball list and put up a .391 on-bas percentage, along with a .472 slugging percentage, over 379 plate appearances in Triple-A last year. Of course, prospects are prospects until proven otherwise, but Alex Verdugo would be a great acquisition for Miami. 
• Los Angeles Angels - Moving further to the south of Los Angeles, the Angels are another team that could potentially be a fit for J.T. Realmuto. Some might argue that given the lack of impact talent within the Angels system, but the Angels do have a very promising prospect in, outfielder Jo Adell, who could headline the package going back to Miami. Many projections project that Adell will someday turn into the next Mike Trout and that could be a huge piece for the Marlins to get back in return and have to build their team around moving forward. Furthermore, the Angels would in turn be focused solely on improving heading into 2019 with a new manager in Brad Ausmus, could spend money to upgrade their starting rotation through free agency, and try their best to reach an extension with Mike Trout. There's no guarantee that the addition of J.T. Realmuto and a free agent starting pitcher, would book the Angels ticket to the World Series, but it would be a positive step in the right direction. 
• Tampa Bay Rays - The Tampa Bay Rays are a team that certainly exceeded every expectation this past season and all of the credit in the world should be given to the entire Rays organization from top to bottom for accomplishing what they did. Heading into 2019, the Rays might not logically look like a team that could be competitive and keep up with the reigning World Series Champion, Red Sox and Yankees, but if the proper additions are made to the team this winter, anything is possible. The biggest attraction for the Rays, in adding someone like J.T. Realmuto, would be the idea of how affordable he would be and the void that he would fill on their roster. Tampa will likely lose Wilson Ramos in free agency and Realmuto projects to earn an affordable salary under $5 million dollars this season. Better yet, J.T. Realmuto would stay in the sunshine state!