J.T. Realmuto is now a Philadelphia Phillie

The Phillies acquired Realmuto on Thursday, making him the undisputed top option at catcher in fantasy baseball. Consider Gary Sanchez all you like, but given the team and park upgrade I’m 100% behind Realmuto as the clear top choice. I’m likely not drafting him at an ADP that will surely rise from his current position of around pick 60 (per NFBC). But I do believe he is the top option based on the aforementioned factors and Realmuto’s overall skill set.

The Marlins received Jorge Alfaro, a guy many touts (including myself) were high on heading into 2019. This is undoubtedly a downgrade given the sad state of the poor Miami lineup, as well as the poor home hitting environs. Alfaro was a borderline C1 option, but now he’s an option in two-catcher leagues for me.

The Marlins also received right-handed pitcher Sixto Sanchez and southpaw Will Stewart, as well as $250,000 in international slot money. Both represent upside, as Sanchez’s 70-grade fastball can reach triple digits and Stewart’s ability to throw low-90s heat with a quality changeup is enticing, especially if he hones his third pitch (a slider).

As far as real baseball is concerned, this move further solidifies the Phillies as a club that intends to contend THIS YEAR. Realmuto joins Andrew McCutchen, Jean Segura, and David Robertson in Philadelphia.

One ramification that may not be as widely discussed is the future of Cesar Hernandez atop the Phillies lineup. I could see Jean Segura and Andrew McCutchen holding down the top two spots, and RosterResource projects Cutch-Segura-Realmuto at the top, with Hernandez getting bumped to the No. 9 spot in the order. So I think we can safely ding the counting stats for Hernandez in 2019—something we could have done already but now it seems even more likely with another top-of-the-order option like Realmuto in town.

What do you all think? Does this bump Realmuto into undraftable territory for you? Is Alfaro off your board in Miami?