MLB Trade Rumors: JT Realmuto Bidding War Joined By 2 More Teams

Two more unidentified teams have reportedly joined the bidding war for Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto.

That's according to Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald as he noted how the interest in Realmuto continues to increase, especially in comparison to Miguel Cabrera when he was traded in 2007.

Spencer adds the two unidentified teams showed interest on the third day of the Winter Meetings while there are at least eight other teams that "remain in the thick of trade discussions for Realmuto as the Marlins continue to weigh offers."

At one point, there was even more than a dozen as the reason for the mass interest in the 27-year-old is that he's the best available player in his position.

“You’re talking about a premium position, so there should be interest and I’m not surprised,” Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill said. “But in terms of sheer volume that we’d had to work through, it has been unique.”

"Best overall profile on the trade or free agent market, including (Manny) Machado and (Bryce) Harper," a former front office executive added.

That's not to say Realmuto is on the level of some of the best catchers the sport has seen. It's just that the position has usually been weak throughout the MLB.

“There’s not a lot of depth there,” Hill explained. “That’s why I think there are so many different types of teams that have expressed interest. It’s universal that you need the right guy behind the dish.”

“... Ultimately the goal is to make the best decision for this organization, and that’s what I’m charged to do. So we’re thorough in our process. When that time comes that something might make sense, then we’ll go from there,” he said.

The Cincinnati Reds emerged as a potential trade destination on Wednesday but they're not one of the two unidentified teams as Spencer adds they've been in discussions for a while.

The other teams interested are the likes of the New York Mets, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets in particular, have been reported to be interested in three-team as well two-team swap deals.

“There have been a couple of new teams that have entered, which also makes it challenging because you want to be thorough with the process,” Hill added. "... At this point, we’re listening to (trade) ideas, a myriad of different options, to see if there’s something there."

Realmuto finished the 2018 season with a 277/.340/.484 line, 21 home runs, a 126 wRC+ and was an All-Star for the first time in his career. While he has two years left on his contract, a trade became inevitable when his agent revealed he would not sign an extension to his current Marlins deal.