Another day, another marquee name reportedly drawing interest from the Toronto Blue Jays.
With Toronto said to be among the most active clubs in free agency at the moment, MLB Network's Craig Mish reports that the Blue Jays will be among the teams vying for free-agent catcher J.T. Realmuto.
Realmuto's the latest in the list of notable names the Blue Jays are said to have interest in, with George Springer, Francisco Lindor and DJ LeMahieu among the others.
Earlier Tuesday, it was reported that the Jays have been in contact with Michael Brantley and Justin Turner as well.
In terms of Realmuto, the Blue Jays are sure to be among a number of clubs seeking the all-star's services. Toronto might not be the one with the most need given their depth at the position, with Danny Jansen and Reese McGuire in the fold and prospects Alejandro Kirk, Gabriel Moreno and Riley Adams behind them.
But as Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith wrote last week, the club has explored opportunities to improve at the position in the past, even with that depth.
"A year ago, that desire to improve led to a meeting between the Blue Jays and Yasmani Grandal. Now, it’s Realmuto who’s available and once again it’s an opportunity worth exploring," Nicholson-Smith wrote.
"Not only is Realmuto established as the game's best catcher, he has a chance to age better than most at the position. At 29 years old, he's two years younger than Russell Martin was when he signed in Toronto and his 84th percentile sprint speed allows him to run the bases better than most. Simply put, he’s a great player in his prime. That’s exactly why he’ll be so expensive."