Washington Nationals MLB Trade Rumors: Team in the Mix for Christian Yelich and J.T. Realmuto

By Noriel See, Christian Post Contributor Saturday, January 06, 2018

Christian Yelich and J.T. Realmuto seem to have caught the eye of the Washington Nationals.

According to MLB Network's Joe Frisaro, the Nationals have expressed interest in acquiring one or the other, and they are reportedly open to the possibility of acquiring both of them. Nothing is imminent at the moment, but talks may pick up as spring training draws nearer.

There's one caveat, though. The Miami Marlins' asking price for Yelich and Realmuto is expected to be quite steep since both have team-friendly contracts and are under club control for multiple seasons.

Yelich is signed through 2021 and he also has a $15 million club option for 2022. Realmuto is under contract for three more seasons.

"To move either player, the Marlins are seeking an 'overpay' in terms of prospects. Each could command three top prospects, plus a big league-ready player," Frisaro wrote in his report. "A potential trade with the Nationals for Realmuto or Yelich could center around outfielder Victor Robles, ranked No. 3 on the MLB Pipeline Top 100 list," he added.

Well, that could be a problem because the Nationals don't want to part ways with Robles, or Juan Soto for that matter, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.

Yelich posted a 0.282/0.369/0.439 slash line in 156 games with the Marlins last season, and he also recorded 18 home runs, 81 runs batted in, 16 stolen bases, and 36 doubles in 695 plate appearances.

"To the Nationals, Yelich would provide another middle-of-the-order presence for several more seasons. After 2018, the Nationals face the possibility of losing former National League MVP Award winner Bryce Harper through free agency," Frisaro said.

Meanwhile, Realmuto appeared in 141 games for the Marlins last season and he had 17 home runs, 65 runs batted in, eight stolen bases and 31 doubles in 579 plate appearances. He posted a 0.278/0.332/0.451 slash line.