Reds rumors: Cincinnati Reds “very in” on J.T. Realmuto

The Reds rumors just won’t stop this offseason. The latest rumor has the Cincinnati Reds very much involved in trade talks for J.T. Realmuto.

The Reds rumors just keep coming this offseason. The Cincinnati Reds are rumored to be “very in” on Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto. The Marlins All-Star catcher has been linked to several teams this offseason, but Cincinnati appears to be making a late push to acquire Realmuto.

The San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves, and Houston Astros have all been linked to J.T. Realmuto. The Reds were always mentioned in those same rumors, but it seemed a bit far-fetched. Apparently it’s not far-fetched at all, as multiple outlets are reporting that the Cincinnati Reds are very much in the mix to acquire the slugging catcher from South Beach.

Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports broke the news that , in addition to the Dodgers and Padres, the Cincinnati Reds were a surprise team in the running for Realmuto. It is definitely surprising, as the Reds have Tucker Barnhart, their Gold Glove backstop, under contract for another three years.

Barnhart’s contract is very affordable, with an average annual value (AAV) of $4M per season. Tucker didn’t have a great year at the plate last season, and he wasn’t at the Gold Glove level behind the dish either, but he is still a very serviceable big league catcher.

Heyman reports that the Marlins would obviously be interested in either Nick Senzel, Taylor Trammell, or Hunter Greene. The Reds have been unwilling to move any of their Top 3 prospects all  season, so it seems unlikely that they’d do that for a non-pitcher. However, Heyman also notes that Miami may be interested in the Reds first-round pick from last year, Jonathan India.

India was the No. 5 overall pick in last season’s MLB Draft. He’s primarily a third baseman, a position of strength for the Reds organization, but like Nick Senzel before him, the Reds are teaching India to play multiple positions.

If the Reds acquired J.T. Realmuto, obviously Tucker Barnhart would either be part of the package sent to Miami or be dealt to another team in need of a catcher. It’s virtually impossible to see Cincinnati keeping both Realmuto and Barnhart, as well as Curt Casali.

This is all very fluid and there’s no telling where this will all end up. The Dodgers and Padres have not fallen out of the race yet either. This offseason has seen its fair share of Reds rumors and we’re likely not done. The season is now less than 60 days away.