Dodgers Quick Hits: JT Realmuto, Free Agents, Bryce Harper

3 of 4

TOKYO, JAPAN – NOVEMBER 08: Catcher J.T. Realmuto #11 of the Miami Marlins grounds out in the top of 2nd inning during the exhibition game between Yomiuri Giants and the MLB All-Stars at Tokyo Dome on November 8, 2018, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images) /

The hot stove may have just gotten hotter. The JT Realmuto picture, for better or worse, just got clearer and both Bryce Harper and Manny Machado’s free agencies are starting to pick up significant steam. But, the Dodgers are falling behind and after a trade to clear salary that saw stars depart from Los Angeles, the rumors may be cause for concern.

The offseason has felt confusing, to say the least for the Dodgers. At first, they were the favorites to land Bryce Harper. Then as time went by so too did the Vegas odds of the Dodgers landing him as other team’s names appeared higher than Los Angeles. Then the blockbuster. The Dodgers traded Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Alex Wood, Kyle Farmer and $7 million to Cincinnati to make room for what everyone thought was a Bryce Harper move- it has not been yet.

If the Dodgers miss out on Harper it is no the end of the world though. Corey Kluber and Realmuto are on the trading block still but that could be an issue in its own right. Here is an update on where the Dodgers stand with each situation.

MIAMI, FL – SEPTEMBER 01: J.T. Realmuto #11 of the Miami Marlins rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run in the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Marlins Park on September 1, 2018, in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Can I be honest here for a second? This is not news right away or some flashy insider information, this is me: the JT Realmuto situation is frustrating and the Marlins are handling it horribly wrong. A deal here will happen, just not with the Dodgers.

The reason I say that is the price the Marlins have set. Ken Rosenthal appeared on MLB Network to talk about exactly that and one sentence of his has rung in my head since he said it.

“The Marlins are not wavering,” Rosenthal said. “They want a top 0-3 year player, someone like Cody Bellinger or Ozzie Albies, and on top of that they want some good prospects.”

That won’t happen. Not from the Braves, not from the Dodgers and not from any other team with half a brain and a decent roster. It is not worth it.

The Dodgers would be departing with Bellinger in this case along with prospects all for a player that may or may not exceed the single-season offensive output of any of the players the Dodgers would be sending away.

Until the price in Miami is set to a reasonable standard, I not only think the Dodgers will pass on the backstop of their dreams but so will everyone else.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA – AUGUST 18: A general view of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes during a minor league game at Rancho Cucamonga Epicenter on August 8, 1994, in Rancho Cucamonga, California. (Photo by J.D. Cuban/Getty Images) /

On Thursday, January 3, the Dodgers signed German-born pitcher, Markus Solbach to a minor league deal. Solbach, 27, played in the Australian Baseball League for the Adelaide Bite in 2018 and two years prior, he was a Diamondbacks minor leaguer.

Solbach could quietly be one of the Dodgers best additions of the offseason. Sure, Bryce Harper or Corey Kluber would far exceed this, or any, move the Dodgers make but Solbach is a fantastic addition to the farm.

In 2018, the 27-year old pitched 41.2 innings with a 0.43 ERA and a .672 WHIP. While the sample size was small, the numbers are undeniably impressive.

In his career, Solbach has bounced around between the minor leagues, international baseball and Indy ball. He has played six seasons in a major league team’s system, three outside the United States and four with Indy ball clubs.

While he has not exceeded high-A in the minors, Solbach could be a force in the minor leagues and rise quickly through the system.

DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 30: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals runs out a ninth-inning double against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 30, 2018, in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Boy is the water muddy with Bryce Harper. You have heard so much information from so many reporters and sources that you do not know where to look yet the answer, at least for Dodger fans, is right in front of you: this situation is far less promising than it ever was.

More from Dodgers Way

Bryce Harper was assumed to be target number one for Los Angeles. His superstar bat in the middle of the order in a Dodger uniform was the dream but it was to come at a cost. Harper wants ten years and $300 million. He wants so much money that the Dodgers, a financially conservative team when it comes to total length and size of the contract, were forced to offer alternative solutions.

They wanted Harper on a shorter deal.

For a moment, that felt like it was working. The Dodgers made a huge trade to clear more space both positionally and financially but what followed was not a press conference with Harper putting on his new uniform. What followed was nothing.

The Dodgers have not made a move or made the headlines for Harper. The Phillies are meeting with him and the White Sox are too. The Nationals submitted an offer worth ‘much more than the $300 million they originally offered’ (The Athletic).

Next. Dodgers Quick Hits: Yusei Kikuchi, Free Agents, Bryce Harper. dark

If that is the case, not only do the Dodgers have an extremely slim chance, you can more or less count them out. If Harper is in this for money, he is already an afterthought in the Dodgers’ front office. If he is looking to stay close to home, the Dodgers and the superstar may meet in the middle on a deal.

Home / LA Dodgers News

More from Dodgers Way

Schedule