Agent: Realmuto wants Marlins to trade him

Having watched the Miami Marlins' new owners thoroughly purge their roster this winter, trading away Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich, Marcell Ozuna, and Dee Gordon in an effort to shed salary, J.T. Realmuto now wants out of south Florida, too.

After Realmuto - who had reportedly requested a trade in December - lost his arbitration hearing Friday, his agent, Jeff Berry, made public the 26-year-old's desire to play elsewhere in 2018.

"No matter how his arbitration hearing turned out, J.T.’s preference remains the same," Berry, co-head of CAA baseball, told Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. "He would like to be traded to another organization before spring training so he has an opportunity to compete for a championship."

If the Marlins want to oblige Realmuto, who will make $2.9 million in 2018, they shouldn't have trouble finding a trade partner. According to a report from earlier this week, at least a dozen teams have asked the Marlins about Realmuto, with the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves showing the most intense interest.

Realmuto, a third-round pick by the Marlins in 2010, has quietly emerged of late as one of the game's top catchers, managing more WAR (7.2) over the past two seasons than every other catcher except former National League MVP Buster Posey and newly minted All-Star Gary Sanchez. Last year, Realmuto enjoyed the finest season of his young career, setting new personal-bests in WAR (3.6), games played (141), OPS (.783), and home runs (17). He remains under team control through 2020.