MLB Trade Rumors: Latest Buzz on J.T. Realmuto and Potential Dodgers Deals

The winter meetings can be the fireworks portion of the MLB offseason.

But that's not always the case, and 2018 was among the exceptions.

Bryce Harper doesn't have a home yet. Ditto for Manny Machado. Baseball's movers and shakers left Sin City with plenty of moving and shaking still to be done.

We'll look in on the trade portion of the hot stove here and dissect two of the biggest rumors on the market.

Robust Market for Realmuto

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J.T. Realmuto was the best catcher in baseball this season, and he's on a short list of the hottest trade candidates this winter.

He's 27 years old. He's under club control through 2020. He's flashed both 20-homer pop and double-digit steal speed.

He's also attracting the attention of a robust trade market, as the Miami Herald's Clark Spencer laid out:

An MLB executive told former ESPN writer Jerry Crasnick the Milwaukee Brewers might be another team to watch here:

The Marlins, clearly, are in no rush.

"[There's] still a long way to go in the offseason," Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill told reporters Thursday. "We didn't come to these meetings thinking we had to do something with J.T. Realmuto."

As long as Miami doesn't wait too long, it should be able to spark a bidding war among the numerous suitors. Then again, it's fair to wonder how much higher it can go when a name like Noah Syndergaard has already been connected to the trade talks.

Whenever the Marlins pull the trigger, they will be seeking a hefty return. Spencer relayed the asking price "includes at least one Major League-ready player and one or more prospects."

Realmuto made his All-Star debut this season, slashing .277/.340/.484 while tallying 21 home runs and 74 RBI just 125 games. His price is high for a reason, and it seems multiple teams might be willing to pay it.

Multiple Dodgers Available?

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The Los Angeles Dodgers could make a major addition this summer. There's been talk of Bryce Harper. Corey Kluber has been mentioned, too. And, as noted above, the Dodgers are right there in the Realmuto running.

But they're making just as much noise with their potential subtractions.

According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, they're working hard to clear their outfield clutter by moving one or both of Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp. A source also told Feinsand the Dodgers have "discussed deals involving Yasiel Puig and/or Alex Wood," though the source cautioned there has been "nothing serious at this point."

Puig is a year away from free agency and might collect an eight-figure salary next season. Wood is in the same situation, although likely looking at a slightly smaller amount. Kemp has $21.5 million coming his way in the final year of his deal. 

Clearing out one or more of these pacts could give the Dodgers enough wiggle room for a blockbuster.

"Maybe it's adding a two-time Cy Young Award-winning starter like Kluber," MLB.com's Ken Gurnick wrote. "Maybe it's hoping for a collapse in the market of Harper and getting him to accept a short-term deal. Whatever the case, the Dodgers are looking for a significant upgrade somewhere to help finally get them a ring."

Gurnick added Rich Hill, owed $18.6 million in the final season of his contract, to the list of "players they would prefer to deal."

The Dodgers have the luxury of knowing that no matter what they do this offseason, the NL West is likely theirs for the taking. So, they can be bold if the option arises, or they can focus on making function-over-flash additions like the recent Joe Kelly signing.

They need an everyday catcher. They might want to give more attention to the bullpen. Both should be easily accomplished.

It will be fascinating to see whether L.A. stops there or shoots for a star.

Salary information used courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.