Dodgers in Talks with Marlins about Realmuto
Following the announcement of the Los Angeles Dodgers signing outfielder AJ Pollock, it was reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports that they are also focused on acquiring star catcher, J.T Realmuto from the Miami Marlins via trade. Nightengale says these talks are allegedly “intensive” and are continuously on-going.
The Dodgers are currently looking to fill the void left at catcher following the departure of Yasmani Grandal, who signed with the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this month. Despite their recent acquisition of veteran catcher, Russell Martin, Grandal is still a tough player to replace due to the fact that he has evolved into one of the premier offensive catchers in the game posting a .241/.349/.466 stat line with a 125 wRC+ last season, while slugging a combined 73 home runs in LA the past three years.
Realmuto’s numbers make him the ideal candidate to replace Grandal, given his slash line of .277/.340/.484, 126 wRC+, to go along with 21 home runs and 74 RBIs in 2018. The Marlins are reportedly targeting the Dodgers 20-year-old catching prospect, Keibert Ruiz in return, who is currently the 20th ranked prospect in baseball, according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com.
Mariners Add Hunter Strickland
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported yesterday that relief pitcher, Hunter Strickland has agreed to a deal with the Seattle Mariners. Rosenthal also notes that Strickland’s contract will be controlled by the Mariners for the next three seasons if they choose to retain him through the arbitration process.
The 30-year-old right-hander was non-tendered by the San Francisco Giants this offseason after spending the past 5 seasons with the ball club. He experienced a bit of a down year in 2018 going 3-5 with a 3.97 ERA, 4.42 FIP, 1.412 WHIP, and 37 strikeouts in 45.1 innings pitched.
Castellanos Requests Trade from Tigers
Anthony Fenech of The Detroit Free Press reported yesterday that Detroit Tigers versatile slugger, Nick Castellanos has requested a trade, which was announced by his agent.
The reason for this trade request is because the Tigers, who are currently in rebuild mode of their roster most likely have no future plans to retain Castellanos following his contract season this year. The soon to be 27-year-old also struggled defensively after being moved to right field last season posting a -12.9 UZR with -19 DRS.
Despite his defensive struggles at a new position, he is still a force to be reckoned with at the plate putting up an impressive .298/.354/.500 stat line with a wRC+ of 130, while hitting 23 home runs and driving in 89 RBIs. Castellanos has reportedly drawn interest from several teams in the past year including the Mets, Braves, Dodgers, Astros, Indians, and Phillies.
Dodgers Not Close to Dealing Pederson
There were rumors swirling about the Dodgers possibly trading outfielder Joc Pederson even before they signed A.J. Pollock on Thursday. However, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Dodgers are not close to trading Pederson at this time.
Pederson, 26, hit .248/.321/.522 with 27 doubles, 25 home runs, and 56 RBI last year in 443 plate appearances for the Dodgers. He has experience in all three outfield spots, though he’s been a below average defender in center (-13 DRS).
