PHILADELPHIA _ The Phillies finalized a trade on Thursday afternoon with the Marlins to acquire J.T. Realmuto.
The trade _ the details of which were first reported by ESPN _ will have the Phillies send Jorge Alfaro, top pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez and minor-league left-hander Will Stewart to Miami. The Phillies will also send the Marlins slot money to spend on the international free-agent market.
Realmuto is the best catcher in baseball and is under club control for the next two seasons. He posted an .825 OPS last season with 21 homers but he might be even more productive once he's away from pitcher-friendly Marlins Park. Realmuto hit 13 of his homers on the road and batted .283 with a .870 OPS away from Miami.
The price was steep for Realmuto, who the Marlins patiently shopped this offseason as they waited for the right offer. Sanchez is the best Phillies' pitching prospect since Cole Hamels and is armed with a fastball that can reach triple digits. Alfaro is just 25, under club control for five more seasons, and made strong progress behind the plate last season in his first full year.
Parting with Sanchez is difficult, but the Phillies had concerns with his health. The 20-year-old Sanchez, who Baseball America ranked last month as the 13th-best prospect in baseball, missed most of last season with injuries. He was sidelined by an elbow injury and then injured his collarbone when trying to prepare for the Arizona Fall League.
Adding Realmuto does not take the Phillies out of the race for Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. The team remains optimistic _ perhaps even more so after adding Realmuto _ that they will land Harper or Machado before the start of the season. Realmuto, who turns 28 in March, is close with Harper. Perhaps this move could help motivate Harper to join the Phillies.
