Nats like Realmuto, but not if Miami asks for top prospects

It's no secret the Nationals want to get better production from their catchers in 2018 than they did in 2017. Not that it would be easy to get worse production.

Nationals catchers - which means almost entirely Matt Wieters and Jose Lobaton - collectively hit .208 with a .275 on-base percentage, .319 slugging percentage and .594 OPS last season. They ranked 28th, 29th, 30th and 30th in the majors in each of those categories, respectively.

So there's basically nowhere to go but up.

The issue at hand is whether significant improvement can come from within the stable of catchers already in the organization - i.e. Wieters and Pedro Severino, now targeted as the No. 2 catcher after Lobaton became a free agent and signed with the Mets - or whether it needs to come from the outside.

The Nationals, ideally, would like it to come from within. They're already paying Wieters $10.5 million, and Severino seems ready for his first prolonged stint on the big league roster.

But we also know Mike Rizzo isn't afraid to go out and get someone who might make his team better, especially if that someone comes at a reasonable price. Which explains why J.T. Realmuto's name keeps coming up this winter.

Realmuto is one of the few remaining players of consequence still on the Marlins roster, which means he (like outfielder Christian Yelich) wants out. The Nationals have long liked the 26-year-old, who over the last two seasons has hit .290 with a .337 on-base percentage and .440 slugging percentage while averaging 14 homers and 31 doubles.

Realmuto can't become a free agent until after the 2020 season and is projected to make $4.2 million in arbitration this year. What's not to like about that?

The issue, of course, is that the Marlins aren't just going to give away Realmuto. This isn't a Giancarlo Stanton situation, with the club hamstrung by a massive contract and a no-trade clause. They don't have to move Realmuto, so long as they're willing to deal with a disgruntled catcher.

So Miami president of baseball operations Michael Hill is going to ask for a king's ransom in any deal involving Realmuto. Which, in the case of the Nationals, probably includes either Victor Robles or Juan Soto.

We know how attached the Nats are to both of their top outfield prospects. Rizzo has turned down trades for far more accomplished players because of his refusal to include either Robles or Soto in a deal. So it seems foolish to think he's suddenly going to relent now in order to acquire a good (but hardly superstar) catcher.

If the Marlins' price comes down, then look for Rizzo to try to pounce on Realmuto. If not, look for him to hold firm to his long-held stance and either look elsewhere for an affordable way to improve his team's catching situation or else take a chance on the guys he already has.