MLB rumors: Astros still interested in J.T. Realmuto, also talking trade with Mets

Predictably, baseball news has slowed to a crawl during the holidays. The Angels did snag catcher Jonathan Lucroy on a one-year contract Friday, which was the first hot stove action we’ve had in a few days. At the moment 26 of our top 50 free agents remain unsigned. Spring training is roughly seven weeks away now, so there are still a lot of players who need to sign between now and then.

With that in mind, we’re going to keep track of the day’s hot stove rumblings right here in this handy post. Make sure you check back often throughout the day for updates.

Astros still interested in Realmuto

The Astros still have interest in Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto, reports MLB.com’s Jon Morosi. Miami continues to insist on outfielder Kyle Tucker or right-hander Forrest Whitley, two of the top prospects in baseball, as the centerpiece in a trade, however, so talks have not advanced much. The Astros signed Robinson Chirinos to a one-year contract earlier this offseason, but he won’t stand in the way of a Realmuto addition.

MLB.com currently ranks Tucker and Whitley as the fifth and eighth best prospects in baseball, respectively. It’s not unreasonable for the Marlins to want one of them in a Realmuto trade — Realmuto is arguably the top catcher in baseball and crazy valuable — and it’s not unreasonable for the Astros to stand their ground either. Perhaps another team will jump into the mix and make a strong offer for Realmuto, forcing Houston to blink. Until then, both sides can be patient.

Astros, Mets talking trade

The Mets and Astros have had some trade discussions recently, reports Marc Carig of The Athletic. Houston is known to like righty Seth Lugo, and the Mets are doing background work on the Astros’ farm system. Even with Collin McHugh moving back into the rotation, the Astros are still short two starting pitchers because Charlie Morton left as a free agent, Dallas Keuchel could leave as a free agent, and Lance McCullers Jr. will miss 2019 with Tommy John surgery.

Lugo, 29, worked primarily out of the bullpen in 2018, throwing 101 1/3 innings with 103 strikeouts and a 2.66 ERA. It’s worth noting the Astros value spin rate highly and Lugo’s curveball has posted the highest spin rates in baseball the last three seasons. Here are the top curveball spin rates from 2016-18 (min. 500 curveballs thrown):

  1. Seth Lugo: 3,163 rpm
  2. Ryan Pressly: 3,127 rpm
  3. Chris Stratton: 3,106 rpm
  4. Trevor Cahill: 2,921 rpm
  5. Tyler Chatwood: 2,918 rpm
    (MLB average: 2,492 rpm)

Interestingly enough, Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen has indicated he’d like to add a veteran starter for depth behind his starting rotation, and Lugo would seemingly qualify. Perhaps the Mets believe they can cash Lugo in as a trade chip, bolster the farm system, and adequately replace his production through free agency.

Mets offered Grandal four years

Prior to signing Wilson Ramos, the Mets offered free agent catcher Yasmani Grandal a four-year contract worth $60 million, reports Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times. Once he rejected the offer, they pivoted to Ramos, who signed a two-year deal worth $19 million. Grandal remains unsigned, and with so many teams (Mets, Braves, Nationals, etc.) addressing their catching needs in other ways — and Realmuto still available on top of that — his market is dwindling.

Grandal, 30, hit .241/.349/.466 with 24 home runs in 2018 and he’s been rated as a top pitch-framer in recent years. He had a miserable postseason on both sides of the ball, no doubt, but few catchers provide as much two-way impact as Grandal. The Athletics, Brewers, Dodgers, and Rockies all jump to mind as contenders in need of catching help, so they stand out as potential Grandal suitors.

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