Report: Marlins want to keep Realmuto, could offer long-term deal

The Miami Marlins' biggest trade chip might be the player the front office tries to build around long term.

Despite outside interest in catcher J.T. Realmuto, the Marlins want to keep the 27-year-old and have internally discussed the possibility of making a long-term offer, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Following an offseason selloff that saw Giancarlo Stanton, Dee Gordon, Christian Yelich, and Marcell Ozuna dealt, Realmuto requested a trade through his agent in hopes that he would also be moved before spring training. Although there was interest from a number of clubs at the time, the Marlins' asking price was believed to be substantial, and no teams were willing to meet the demands.

While he may have been disappointed, Realmuto hasn't let that affect his play. After 62 games, he's hitting .306/.359/.544 with 11 home runs and 20 doubles, while leading all catchers with 3.2 WAR.

Realmuto is earning $2.9 million this season and has two more years of arbitration eligibility before hitting free agency after the 2020 season.