MLB trade rumors: Marlins’ J.T. Realmuto wants to be traded

Marlin’s catcher J.T. Realmuto has expressed interest in being traded, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Realmuto, who will turn 27 before opening day in 2018, is coming off his second consecutive solid season behind the plate for the Fish. With three years of control left, Rosenthal notes that the Miami backstop could return some significant value on the trade market.

Realmuto hit .278/.332/.451 with 17 homers, 65 RBIs, 31 doubles, and five triples in 141 games for the Marlins last season. Additionally, Realmuto has thrown out 33.7 percent of base stealers, which is significantly higher than the league average of 27 percent since the beginning of 2016.

Derek Jeter appears very intent on selling off nearly all assets within the organization, and not wanting to be part of a rebuild, Realmuto has reportedly said that he would not mind being the next player traded away from Miami. However, there is no certainty that Jeter would grant him his request. The club is also still exploring potential trade avenues for Christian Yelich among others on the roster.

It is early to speculate as to which teams would jump into the Realmuto sweepstakes, but there would be a number of teams who could use a solid catcher next season. The Nationals, Diamondbacks, or Rockies could all jump into the mix if the Marlins put Realmuto on the trade block.