We’ve heard this one before, but Jon Heyman tweeted out last night that trade talks around catcher JT Realmuto are gaining momentum. And he mentioned the Reds are among the teams with interest.
Realmuto talks are said to be gaining momentum, with the Dodgers and Padres believed most prominent in discussions at moment. LA has the need and the young players to trade (Verdugo, etc.) and is logical. Reds, Braves, Astros among others with interest.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 25, 2019
The Cincinnati Reds aren’t mentioned as the favorites here – the Dodgers and Padres are. But this is where things could actually get real interesting. We’ve known the Reds are interested in JT Realmuto for a while now. And they should be – he’s arguably the best catcher in Major League Baseball right now. But we also know that the Padres are interested in the Reds third basemen. They’ve been noted to have asked the Reds about both Eugenio Suarez and Nick Senzel this offseason. The Padres have also tried to be a third party in a trade with the Reds and Indians for Corey Kluber.
This is pure speculation here, but if the Padres could land Realmuto, they could potentially move him to Cincinnati for a third baseman. Of course, maybe they are simply interested in adding one of the best catchers alive for their own selfish reasons that don’t involve the Reds.
Getting back to the Reds, though, the acquisition would not be cheap. In 2019 he’s owed $5.9M. He’s arbitration eligible in 2020, and then he becomes a free agent after the 2020 season. He’ll be drastically underpaid for his services in 2019 and 2020 unless he just completely falls apart. There’s a reason that so many teams are “in” on trying to acquire him. The price would probably be one of Nick Senzel or Taylor Trammell. Maybe it’s possible you could move two pieces, such as Jonathan India and Tony Santillan instead of one of the previously mentioned guys. No matter how you slice it, though, the price is going to be high.