Just when it seemed like a 12-game losing streak had sunk their season, the Marlins have won six of seven games since that losing streak to jump back to a 58-55 record. Miami remains one of the more interesting “on the fence” teams as the deadline approaches, as they might now be shifting back into buyer mode, or perhaps looking to both buy and sell.
For the latter avenue, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic write that first baseman/outfielder Kyle Stowers and catcher/first baseman Liam Hicks are being discussed “more actively” in trade scenarios than Otto Lopez or Xavier Edwards. Miami is known to be asking for a ton in return for Lopez and the same is likely true of Edwards, and while Stowers or Hicks also wouldn’t come cheap, a deal for one of those two players might be somewhat more realistic.
In Hicks’ case, he is a hot commodity with so many contenders looking for catching help. Rosenthal/Sammon report that the Rays and (as previously reported) Red Sox have shown interest in Hicks. The Rangers also had interest earlier this year, but it isn’t known if Hicks is still on the radar since Texas just landed Logan O’Hoppe from the Angels. One catcher-needy team who isn’t in on Hicks are the Yankees, as New York is specifically looking for a right-handed hitting backstop.
A Rule 5 Draft pickup from the Tigers in 2024, Hicks had a respectable rookie season with the Marlins in 2025 and has taken a step forward as a solidly productive hitter this year. Hicks has 14 homers and a .282/.363/.432 slash line over 409 plate appearances, translating to a 119 wRC+. Almost all of that production has come against right-handed pitching, and a wide gap between his .351 wOBA and a much more modest .311 xwOBA can be explained by mediocre hard contact numbers.
Still, Hicks’ bat especially stands out from the catching position, and he has been at least an average defender both behind the plate and at first base. Hicks has been more regularly been used in the Marlins’ DH spot since Joe Mack was called up to the big leagues, with Stowers used primarily at first base.
Mack is one of the top catching prospects in baseball, and MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola reports that the Marlins have had “internal discussions about” an extension for Mack now that his big league career has gotten off to a solid start. This makes Hicks a bit of an overqualified option as a backup catcher, and since he and Stowers are both left-handed batters, they don’t ideally mesh well for a first base platoon. Obviously there’s still plenty of room for Hicks to get into the lineup via the DH role, and it doesn’t hurt having a productive bat who can step in behind the plate if Mack has any growing pains.
A hamstring injury delayed Stowers’ season debut until April 18, and perhaps contributed to his slow start over his first six weeks of action. Since June 1, Stowers has rebounded to hit .249/.336/.540 with 13 homers over 218 PA, and the move to primary base work seems to have unlocked his bat.
It was just over two years ago that Stowers came to the Marlins (along with Connor Norby) from the Orioles in a major deadline deal that sent Trevor Rogers to Baltimore. Stowers doesn’t reach arbitration eligibility until this offseason and is under team control through 2029, while the Marlins’ control over Hicks extends through the 2030 season. It would therefore take a sizable offer to pry either player away from Miami, but out of due diligence, it can’t hurt the Marlins to listen to offers just in case another team is particularly motivated.
Before he was hired as the Marlins’ president of baseball operations in November 2023, Peter Bendix was a longtime member of the Rays’ front office. The two Florida teams have linked up on multiple deals since Bendix went to Miami, which makes the Rays a particularly interested suitor for Hicks even beyond Tampa’s obvious need behind the plate. Catching has long been a problem area for the Rays, and adding a controllable player like Hicks would potentially finally be a longer-term solve for that issue.
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