Realmuto Talks Stall Between Reds, Marlins, Harper Not Signing With Phillies: Report

The JT Realmuto trade talks have been ongoing since the start of the offseason after it became clear that the catcher will not sign an extension with the Miami Marlins and there are a number of teams interested in the player.

The Marlins are open for a trade but have made it clear their demands are very high as they are aware that they are losing the best catcher in the league. The Atlanta Braves were said to be leading the chase earlier in the season, but seemed to have fallen down the pecking order after failing to reach an agreement.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays and the Houston Astros are all still in the race, but the Marlins’ demands seem to be delaying the progress. The Cincinnati Reds seem to have taken over at the front in the chase for Realmuto.

Fancred’s John Heyman revealed the Marlins and the Reds have made progress in their trade talks, but are still apart from the prospects that will head in the opposite direction. According to CBS Sports, the Miami franchise is clear that they want either a top prospect or a promising young big leaguer with controllable years of service time and more for Realmuto.

“Progress yesterday but Marlins, Reds still apart on prospects that would go to Miami in potential Realmuto deal. Padres trying, with LA still in and logical. Braves, Astros, Rays among other possibilities,” Heyman wrote Tuesday.

The All-Star catcher turns 28 years old in March and he has two more years in arbitration before entering free agency in 2021. Realmuto hit .277/.340/.484 with 30 doubles and 21 homers in 125 games last season.

However, The Athletic’s C Trent Rosecrans has revealed that while the Reds are very interested in signing Realmuto they do not see it as a necessity and will not overpay just to sign the catcher. It remains to be seen which franchise will end up meeting the Marlins’ demands before the upcoming campaign.

Meanwhile, the Bryce Harper saga continues with no real end in sight at the moment. Tuesday was billed to be a big day in the Harper sweepstakes with many reporting he will finally unveil his next destination by signing for the Philadelphia Phillies.

While the Phillies are said to be the front-runners for his signature after their face-to-face meeting earlier this month, Fancred’s John Heyman revealed that talks about him signing with the Philadelphia franchise were “unfounded”.

“Phillies are interested and in on bryce harper. but rumors of him signing today in philly are unfounded,” Heyman wrote on his official Twitter account.

The Chicago White Sox and the Washington Nationals are also in the race for the All-Star right-fielder with the latter the only team thus far to have made a concrete offer – a $300 million, 10-year deal that was said to have been rejected by the player.