Cincinnati Reds: J.T. Realmuto is not coming to the Queen City

It’s questionable that the Cincinnati Reds were ever a serious landing spot for J.T. Realmuto anyway. The All-Star catcher was traded to the Phillies today.

Were the Cincinnati Reds ever a serious destination for J.T. Realmuto? Maybe, but today the Miami Marlins finalized a deal to send the All-Star catcher to their division-rival, the Philadelphia Phillies. The trade discussion that dominated the offseason has finally ended and the Reds appear to be set for the 2019 season with Tucker Barnhart behind the plate.

Miami shipped Realmuto from South Beach to the City of Brotherly Love  for catcher Jorge Alfaro, pitching prospects Sixto Sanchez and Will Stewart, and an international bonus slot. That was a high price to pay for the Phillies, as Sanchez is projected to be a headliner on a big league rotation and was the No. 1 prospect in Philadelphia’s organization.

To put it into perspective for Reds fans, it was essentially the equivalent of sending Tucker Barnhart, Nick Senzel, and a Top 25 pitching prospect to the Marlins for two years of J.T. Realmuto’s services. The rumors surrounding the Cincinnati Reds’ talks with the Miami Marlins mentioned Jonathan India as a potential centerpiece should the two clubs have made a deal.

So, where do we go from here? Well, it’s safe to say that Tucker Barnhart and Curt Casali will be suiting up for the Reds behind the plate this season. Casali signed a one-year contract last month with the Reds and Barnhart is under contract through 2021 with a club option for the 2022 season.

The Reds also get to hang onto their 2018 first round draft pick. While he was rumored to be shopped throughout the offseason, Jonathan India is still the No. 4 ranked prospect in the Cincinnati Reds farm system and could follow a path similar to Senzel’s.

The Cincinnati Reds were always a long shot to land J.T. Realmuto, even though at times it seemed like they had the inside the track. A lot of Cincinnati fans will be very happy that Tucker Barnhart is staying put, and hopefully under there tutelage of new hitting coach Tuner Ward, Barnhart can have an All-Star season of his own.