Marlins' J.T. Realmuto: Seeing interest from Astros

The Astros have engaged in trade talks for Realmuto, Craig Mish of SiriusXM reports.

Houston is reportedly considering Miami's request of outfielder Kyle Tucker, who currently is the second-ranked prospect in the Astros organization, per RotoWire. The Astros appear to be well-stocked at catcher with Brian McCann, Evan Gattis and Max Stassi, but Gattis is expected to take on a greater role as the designated hitter while Stassi has just 89 plate appearances at the MLB level over five seasons. The World Series champions may not be comfortable heading into 2018 carrying catchers with such limited MLB experience backing up or sharing time with the soon-to-be 34-year-old McCann. Realmuto's attractive value among fantasy backstops has been defined by his across-the-board offensive steadiness and nearly uninterrupted playing time in Miami. It'd be difficult to think Houston would heavily side with McCann over Realmuto, given the offensive upgrade the latter would provide. Still, he might be stuck in a near-even split, depending on what batteries the staff impose. That being said, holding a place in this stacked lineup, even in part-time duty, likely would sustain Realmuto as a top-10 fantasy catcher in most mixed formats.