LAS VEGAS — The theme of these winter meetings for the Mets has become their determination to find a deal that will pry J.T. Realmuto from the Marlins to fill their catching need.
Realmuto is clearly the best available catcher this offseason, and general manager Brodie Van Wagenen (the former co-head of CAA’s baseball division, which represents Realmuto) holds such an admiration for the player, according to sources, that he isn’t about to concede easily in his pursuit. On Tuesday that meant re-energizing talks that centered on a straight-up deal with Miami, instead of a three-way trade that would involve potentially sending Noah Syndergaard to the Yankees.
An official involved in the talks downplayed the idea of a three-way deal involving Syndergaard on multiple fronts: One was the difficulty of pulling together a three-way trade with players of this caliber and the other was heavy skepticism that Mets COO Jeff Wilpon would approve a deal sending Syndergaard to The Bronx, where the talented right-hander would be under club control for another three seasons and in strong position to haunt his former team and its fans.
Amed Rosario remained a focal point of any possible straight-up deal, but the Marlins also want another player — likely Brandon Nimmo. It’s an asking price similar to what the Marlins were seeking last week when Van Wagenen set his sights on Realmuto after completing the trade with the Mariners that brought Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the Mets and sent Jay Bruce, Anthony Swarzak, Jarred Kelenic, Justin Dunn and Gerson Bautista to Seattle.
Earlier this week, Van Wagenen downplayed the possibility of including the shortstop Rosario in a deal, saying he wasn’t about to fill one hole in his lineup by creating another. But the Mets could look for a one-year stopgap at shortstop as they await the arrival of top prospect Andres Gimenez from the minor leagues. And trading Nimmo would almost make it essential the Mets sign A.J. Pollock to provide another bat in the outfield, with Yoenis Cespedes expected to miss at least half of next season recovering from surgery on both heels.
Van Wagenen can still pivot to a free-agent option at catcher such as Yasmani Grandal, Wilson Ramos or Martin Maldonado if Realmuto is dealt to another team. The Phillies and Dodgers are among the teams that have shown reported interest in Realmuto.
The Mets have convened with Ramos in person at these meetings, but the veteran catcher’s health history — he missed significant action in 2017 and ’18 — and concerns about his defense are red flags to team officials.Maldonado is probably the best defensive catcher of the group and would cost the least, but he is also represented by Scott Boras, and the Mets have clashed with the mega-agent in recent years. Maldonado’s lack of offense is also a concern. Grandal is the best of the free-agent catchers, but he could also bring a price tag in the $60 million neighborhood for four years.
Van Wagenen has expressed a preference to trade for a catcher, but it’s unclear if that extends beyond Realmuto. The next-best trade possibility might be Francisco Cervelli, who is entering the final year of his contract with the Pirates.
The Mets’ inventory at catcher consists of Travis d’Arnaud, Kevin Plawecki and Tomas Nido. If another catcher arrived, the Mets could look to trade d’Arnaud or cut him in spring training, leaving the team responsible for only a fraction of his salary.