Revisiting the J.T. Realmuto Trade: Five Years Later

The 2018-19 MLB offseason saw a number of major moves made, one of which was the deal that sent J.T. Realmuto to Philadelphia. The Phillies & Marlins made the J.T. Realmuto trade in February 2019, and needless to say, it’s worked out for Philadelphia. But what about the Marlins? Let’s take a look at both sides of the deal.

The Phillies’ Return

Position	Name	bWAR in MLB since trade	bWAR with Phillies
C	J.T. Realmuto	19.4	19.4

The Phillies made a massive splash in the 2018-19 offseason when Philadelphia inked superstar outfielder Bryce Harper to a 13-year deal in March 2019. One month earlier, the Phillies filled the team’s hole behind the plate with All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto.

The 2018 Phillies stayed competitive in the NL East for much of the year and opted to add at the deadline. Philadelphia picked up catcher Wilson Ramos to tandem with Jorge Alfaro and he proceeded to hit .337/.396/.485 with a home run and 10 extra-base hits over 33 games.

Realmuto, however, is a very different catcher than Ramos. The 2018 NL All-Star proved to be a stout defender behind the plate, as well as a very good power hitter who belted 21 homers with Miami a year earlier. With Realmuto and Harper in tow, Philadelphia hoped that aggressiveness, rather than a passive rebuild approach, would catapult the Phillies back to success.

Realmuto proved to be an instant hit in Philadelphia, as he had arguably his best season as a Major Leaguer in 2019. The 2019 NL All-Star with .275/.328/.493 with a career-high 25 home runs, and Realmuto won a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger.

Realmuto produced again in 2020 (.840 OPS, 11 HR in 47 G) before the Phillies were able to lock him into an extension.

Since then, Realmuto’s remained one of the best catchers in the Majors. The 32-year-old owned the fifth-best OPS (.788) among catchers that had at least 1,000 PA from 2021-23, had two 20+ home run campaigns, earned a second Gold Glove & Silver Slugger in 2022, and helped lead Philadephia to the National League pennant in 2022.

The Marlins’ Return

Position	Name	bWAR in MLB since trade	bWAR with Marlins
C	Jorge Alfaro	0.6	0.2
SP	Sixto Sanchez	1.5	1.5
SP/RP	Will Stewart	Never played in MLB	Never played in MLB

The Marlins picked up three young players in Major Leaguer Jorge Alfaro, as well as Sixto Sanchez and Will Stewart.

Alfaro was a former top prospect who flashed promise throughout his tenure as a Phillie. Miami likely hoped that Alfaro could flourish but he never put it all together.

The ex-Marlin did hit 18 home runs in the wild 2019 campaign but hit just .240/.282/.343 (.625 OPS) before he was purchased by the Padres in December 2021.

The crown jewel of the trade, though, was Sixto Sanchez. Sanchez earned high grades in the Minors thanks to an overpowering four-seamer, a hard sinker, and a plus changeup he could pair with the heat.

Sanchez pitched very well in 2019 (2.76 ERA, 1.07 WHIP. 103 K over 114 IP) before he made his MLB debut in 2020. The right-hander struck out 33 over 39 innings that year and helped propel the Marlins to their first playoff birth since 2003.

At that point, things looked promising for Miami. Not only did the Marlins have a dynamic 1-2 punch in Sandy Alcantara and Sanchez, but Miami also made the MLB Playoffs before Realmuto and the Phillies. However, things went south for Sanchez.

The 25-year-old has only thrown one inning of professional baseball since that 2020 season thanks to shoulder problems, as his only appearance came in September 2023.

Stewart was a Minor League prospect at the time of the deal who put up good numbers in A-ball (2.06 ERA, 90 K over 113.2 IP) in 2018. However, he struggled mightily in the upper Minors as a starter and has yet to reach the Majors as of 2023.

The Verdict

After five years, it’s hard for the Phillies to complain about their return in the J.T. Realmuto trade. Philadelphia picked up one of the game’s better hitters, one that can both hit for power and be a threat on the basepaths.

And, the deal not only has been in Philadelphia’s favor thus far, but it did ultimately help the Phillies accomplish their goal of getting back to relevance.

As for the Marlins, the deal on their end will ultimately be decided by whether Sanchez can stay healthy from here on out. Sanchez looked like an ace in the making in 2020, but Miami’s seen far too little as they would like.