On February 7, 2019, the Phillies and Marlins lined up on a monumental intra-division trade. Miami sent J.T. Realmuto to Philadelphia in exchange for pitching prospects Sixto Sánchez and Will Stewart, as well as MLB catcher Jorge Alfaro. The then-rebuilding Marlins relinquished their final pair of seasons of club control over one of the game’s premier catchers in exchange for longer-term value. With Realmuto now having played out those two years in Philadelphia, it’s worth taking stock of the progress of the players involved.
To date, the trade is shaping up to be a rare win-win. Realmuto more than lived up to his end of the bargain. Since the start of 2019, the former third-rounder has hit an above-average .273/.333/.492, all while rating as a high-end pitch framer and throwing out an elite 42.9% of attempting basestealers. He and Yasmani Grandal are well clear of the rest of the field when looking at FanGraphs’ WAR leaders among catchers the past two seasons. The Phillies didn’t find much in the way of team success, but that’s not the fault of Realmuto, who has been one of the sport’s two most productive catchers since the trade.
Of course, the Phillies-Realmuto relationship didn’t end once he reached free agency. Philadelphia brought back the franchise backstop on a five-year contract last month. The Realmuto acquisition would have been a successful one for the Phils regardless of whether they managed to re-sign him; trading for Realmuto during his arbitration years is a separate decision from the one to sign him to a long-term deal in free agency. Still, the Phillies acquiring Realmuto two years ago certainly couldn’t have hurt their chances of winning the bidding for him this winter.
The Marlins’ end of the deal is a bit more uncertain (as one would expect when a team trades away an established star for a group of talented younger players) but certainly looks bright. Sánchez was seen as the prize of the package at the time of the deal, and he’s only elevated his stock since then. The young righty spent most of the 2019 season in Double-A, where he was very good, and then made his MLB debut last season.
Over his first seven starts at the big league level, Sánchez pitched to a 3.46 ERA/4.18 SIERA. His strikeout rate (20.9%) was a bit below-average, but Sánchez posted better than average marks in both walk rate (7.0%) and ground ball rate (58.0%) as a 22-year-old. It may be too early to definitively declare the flamethrower a future ace, but he’s clearly a central piece of a young rotation the Marlins hope will allow them to perennially reach the postseason, as the Fish did in 2020.
Alfaro and Stewart remain in the Miami organization, but their respective stocks have fallen since the trade. After a decent 2019 season, Alfaro struggled in 2020 and was eventually supplanted on the depth chart by Chad Wallach. Stewart, meanwhile, had a difficult 2019 season in High-A. Eligible for this offseason’s Rule 5 draft, Stewart was left off Miami’s 40-man roster but went unselected.
Even if neither of the secondary pieces in the deal become core pieces for the Marlins, the Realmuto-Sánchez central framework of the trade will be fascinating to follow. There figures to be plenty of times for broadcasters and fans to rehash the details of the blockbuster when the two square off against one another over the coming years.
Hey, isn’t this Super Bowl Sunday? Who else out there has never watched the Super Bowl?
Saying you don’t like popular things does not make you cool.
“Cool” is a stupid word and it’s not about that. I don’t like football, so why waste my time watching it? Most people who watch the Super Bowl can’t name five players on the two teams, but they watch because they’re “supposed to” watch. That’s dumb. By the way, popular doesn’t mean good. It just means it was spoonfed to an undiscerning public. It’s all marketing.
I’m with you I’m watching Men In Black the only time I’ve watched the Super Bowl was in 1986 when the Bears were in it
“It just means it was spoonfed to an undiscerning public”. Like your original post that has nothing to do with this topic or this sport in general?
Chevrolet makes trucks, Netflix make shows and movies.
Saying making a comment is spoonfooding an undiscerning public is a reach and a half
I do somewhat like football and watch the Super Bowl for that but it is hard to miss that the game is a disgusting capitalism fest where people get excited about being advertised to
Actually it makes him Uber cool with a cherry on top.
I look forward to the Super Bowl every year; it means that there are only two weeks until pitchers and catchers report!
Renato Lunelli, Italian composer and musicologist. He died on January 14, 1967 (the day before Super Bowl I) at the age of 71.
Generalisimo Fransisco Franco has NEVER seen a Super Bowl.
My best Super Bowl Sunday memory is a college basketball game in 1973 when No. 3 North Carolina State beat No. 2 Maryland at Cole Field House. It was the first time I saw David Thompson play.
What is this Super Bowl Sunday you speak of?
Is he still alive?
MLB PowerRankings
1. Mets
2. Dodgers (best record)
3. Braves
4. Rays (they’ll find a way)
5. Padres
Mets definitley aren’t #1. Top 5, but not #1.
I won’t argue with you. I could see all these teams winning the WS but if you want to say dodgers I won’t argue at all. They are really good.
Mets are not even as good as the Phillies.
What does this have to do with the Realmuto trade?
No article will be about power rankings lol
Mets and Pirates will duke it out for the #1 overall pick in 2022
Lmao that would be such a mets thing
The Dodgers have been averaging 102 wins per season and will have their best team yet.
The Mets will be fighting for the second wild-card spot. The top four playoff spots will be Dodgers, Braves, Central winner, Padres. The fifth is up in the air. Maybe the Reds if they don’t make that Suarez and Castillo for Gsellman, Davis, and Nimmo trade that some boob keeps suggesting. Imagine thinking someone would trade two all-stars for a junk package?
Shut up bro
I never even said that package. You should look at peoples username.
umadbro?
So, you admit it’s a dumb proposal even with Mauricio?
Yes it wasn’t very smart at all
Ah yes. Another Metsfan22 power rankings where, of course, he puts the Mets at the top. Guess we’ll see.
I’m usually better at figuring this out, but are you serious or sh!tposting?
The Mets fan leaves out the Yankees of course..
REAL Top 5
1. Dodgers
2. Padres
3. Braves
4. Yankees
5. Twins / White Sox (coin toss)
* The Mets do make the top 10 though
No Central team has yet to earn the right to be in the Top 5. 5th can be replaced by the Rays. They’ve earned it.
This story would’ve been a lot cooler if it ended with JTR signing with the Marlins this winter.
Or Sixto being traded back to the Phillies for the Odubel contract. Both were equal in liklihood.
Wrong link on Will Stewart
I wouldn’t classify a trade rare when both teams win. I think in most trades both teams win; its only the big loser trades you ever remember –
The whole concept of trade revolves around both parties winning, and I think for the most part that still rings true in baseball…..at least near sea level :(
“Still, the Phillies acquiring Realmuto two years ago certainly couldn’t have hurt their chances of winning the bidding for him this winter.”
It very well could have if he didn’t like what he saw once he was there. And the Phillies aren’t exactly an attractive free agent destination these days. As it is, he only signed because they offered the most $.