With less than a week to go until pitchers and catchers report, there are still a lot of of big-name players who need to find homes for the upcoming season. Technically, Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto has a team. Yet his time with the Marlins has been nearing its end for a while, and it looks like he could be sent to the Phillies by the end of Thursday.
Per MLB.com's Joe Frisaro, Miami is pushing to complete a trade for Realmuto before camp opens on Feb. 13. As of Thursday, there were multiple reports that momentum was building for a deal between Miami and Philadelphia. It's looking like Realmuto will head to Philly and the Marlins will get catcher Jorge Alfaro, top pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez and more:
Sources: #Marlins, #Phillies continue discussing J.T. Realmuto trade. There has been momentum in last 24 hours. Sixto Sanchez is among the players who have been discussed, although it is not certain he would be part of final deal, if completed. @MLB @MLBNetwork
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) February 7, 2019
Hearing the same as others -- Phillies moving toward deal for Realmuto. Could be done today. Sixto Sanchez, Jorge Alfaro and prospect will go to Miami. Alfaro was not on field in CLW today. He had been in previous day.
— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyNBCS) February 7, 2019
As Frisaro previously reported, Sanchez is of high interest to the Marlins. Sanchez, 20, was recently ranked the 35th-best prospect in baseball by Keith Law thanks in part to "what might be the easiest 100 mph fastball in pro baseball." Sanchez has displayed impressive control for such a young age, issuing fewer than two walks per nine innings for his career. He's also tightened his slider, giving him a secondary offering of note. If everything clicks, he could develop into a frontline starter.
There are numerous downsides to Sanchez, however, beginning with his frame. He's officially listed at 6-foot, but is believed to be smaller. Last season he was limited to eight appearances thanks to elbow inflammation, and a setback prevented him from partaking in the Arizona Fall League. There's a real chance he ends up in the bullpen, albeit likely as a late-inning reliever.
That combination of upside and risk is sure to breed polarity. We know where the Marlins stand. Soon enough, we'll get a good idea of how the Phillies weigh in.
