MLB rumors: Would Yankees’ Brian Cashman swap Gary Sanchez for Marlins’ J.T. Realmuto?

Will ex-Yankees captain and current Miami Marlins owner Derek Jeter trade All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto? If so, should Yankees general manager Brian Cashman make a move, after watching Gary Sanchez struggle through the 2018 season?

Last winter, Miami Marlins owner and ex-Yankees captain Derek Jeter did New York a solid, and sent outfielder Giancarlo Stanton to the Bronx.

This winter, could Jeter once again turn to Brian Cashman to make a deal? Joel Sherman of the New York Post floats that idea:

The offseason grew more intriguing Tuesday when Jeff Berry, the rep for J.T. Realmuto, said on MLB Network Radio that his client would not sign an extension with the Marlins and, “I think he will definitely be wearing a different uniform by the start of spring training.”

Realmuto is 27 and the game’s best overall catcher at a time when there is a dearth of quality at that position. That could make him more desirable to teams than even big free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado. Will the Marlins trade him with two years until free agency?

Yankees GM Brian Cashman already has said Gary Sanchez is the Yankees’ catcher next year. But if it matters, he has four years to free agency and when Miami’s influential vice president of player development and scouting Gary Denbo was running the Yankee farm system he was said to be a fan of Sanchez. Does that create the firmament for a potential deal?

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Sanchez is coming off his worst season with the Yankees. He .186 with 18 home runs and played sub-par defense behind the plate.

Realmuto is coming off his first All-Star season, during which he hit .277 with a career-high 21 home runs.

Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook.