This was bound to happen. After the Miami Marlins sold off All-Stars Dee Gordon and Marcell Ozuna as well as reigning NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton, some players within the organization can’t be too happy.
Now, according to this one report, star catcher J.T. Realmuto is the first to make his feelings known to the organization. Not only that, he has apparently requested a trade.
Source : JT Realmuto has requested a trade from the Marlins.
— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) December 18, 2017
It’s not yet known whether the Marlins would cater to Realmuto’s demands, but he has not been bandied about in trade rumors thus far this offseason.
That makes perfect sense. Realmuto, 26, is seen as one of the best young catchers in the game. He posted a .278 average with 17 homers and 65 RBI this past season. That came on the heels of him hitting north of .300 back in 2016.
Under team control until 2021, the Marlins likely wouldn’t have shown interest in moving Realmuto prior to his trade demand. If he is indeed on the market, at least half of MLB would be interested. It’s something to pay attention to over the next several weeks.