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Catcher J.T. Realmuto will not sign an extension with the Miami Marlins, and he expects to be with a new team for the start of Spring Training in 2019, agent Jeff Berry told MLB.com’s Jon Morosi during a radio interview today.
NEWS: Jeff Berry, agent with @CAA_Baseball, on @MLBNetworkRadio just now regarding client J.T. Realmuto: “I think he will definitely be wearing a different uniform by the start of spring training.” Berry made clear that Realmuto won’t sign an extension with #Marlins. @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) October 30, 2018
Realmuto was one of the better things to come out of the Marlins’ season, which ended with nearly 100 losses. The 2018 season was Realmuto’s fifth in the majors, and was the first in which he made the National League All-Star team.
Realmuto played in 125 games this past season, slashing .277/.340/.484 and recording 132 hits. He also posted a career-high 21 homers and 74 runs batted in.
The catcher’s name came up on multiple occasions throughout many trade rumors last offseason. Although many of Miami’s best players were traded, including Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, and Dee Gordon, Realmuto stayed put.
As he is set to leave the Marlins, there are a few teams that appear to be early favorites for Realmuto. Among them are the Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies, New York Mets and Washington Nationals. All six of them will likely pursue a new catcher this offseason, and should all check in on Miami’s asking price.
It’s going to be another busy offseason, with many trades and plenty more free agent signings. Already on the list of names to watch this offseason are Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, and (potentially) Clayton Kershaw. Now, you can add J.T. Realmuto’s name to that list as the Marlins continue to re-build.