The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired catcher Liam Hicks from the Miami Marlins in a trade confirmed Monday, a move that intensifies the American League East race. In exchange for Hicks, the Rays sent right-handed pitcher Jacob Kisting and shortstops Adrian Santana and Brayden Taylor to Miami.
According to MLB Pipeline, Kisting and Santana were ranked as the 26th and 27th prospects, respectively, in the Rays' top-30 list. Hicks, 27, is in the midst of a strong offensive season. He has hit 14 home runs with 62 RBIs, maintaining a slash line of .282/.363/.432. Primarily a left-handed hitter, Hicks has shown particular success against right-handed pitching this season, batting .307 with an .876 OPS. All but one of his home runs have come against right-handed pitchers.
This acquisition is expected to provide the Rays with more offensive production from the catcher position, where primary backstops Nick Fortes and Hunter Feduccia have posted OPS figures of .705 and .646, respectively. Hicks is in his second major league season.
The Rays, who currently hold a 2 1/2 game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East, have been active leading up to the trade deadline. This move follows their acquisition of pitcher Freddy Peralta from the Mets on Sunday.
The Yankees, who have been seeking an upgrade at catcher, have yet to make a move at the position. The Boston Red Sox are also reportedly acquiring catcher Adley Rutschman. Several other catchers, including Hunter Goodman (Rockies), Tyler Stephenson (Reds), and Ryan Jeffers (Twins), remain on the trade market, though the Twins' recent additions make Jeffers' status uncertain. While the Yankees added infielder Luis Garcia Jr. over the weekend, the Rays continue to make significant moves to strengthen their roster in the competitive division.