The Rays & Marlins have made several trades with one another in recent years, not a shock given an ex-Tampa Bay executive runs the ship in Miami. And on August 3, another trade between the two teams took place. Liam Hicks, who had a strong second year in the Majors, is headed to the Rays for three prospects.

The Rays’ Return

• C/1B Liam Hicks (.283/.363/.432, 14 HR & 24 XBH over 101 GP)

The Marlins made catcher Liam Hicks a Rule 5 Draft pick in 2024, selecting him out of a Tigers organization that had some catching depth at the time. It was a win for the Marlins, as Hicks was able to stick on the big-league club all year long for the club to retain his rights. And in 2026, Hicks had a big year.

Through June 1, Hicks was one of the best hitters in all of the league. No hyperbole in that statement. The Canadian catcher hit 12 home runs and drove in 46 runs, the latter of which was tied for the third-most RBI in the league at the time. Only Andy Pages & CJ Abrams had more than Hicks at the time.

Even though Hicks has come back to Earth, the 27-year-old has value, for many reasons. One, team control for the next several years. Two, a reliable hitter who can hit for power, and by & large, also control the strike zone. While there were some pitches that can get to him at times, Hicks is largely a disciplined hitter who doesn’t expand too much out of the strike zone.

He walked more (40) than he struck out (39) this season.

Hicks is under team control for four more seasons.

The Marlins’ Return

• INF Brayden Taylor (.284/.384/.513, 17 HR & 36 XBH over 88 GP (AA))
• INF Adrian Santana (.311/.373/.395, three HR & 12 XBH over 54 GP (FCL & A+))
• P Jacob Kisting

The Rays took Brayden Taylor & Adrian Santana in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Now, the two are headed to Miami.

Taylor, who will be Rule 5-eligible after the 2026 season, was a standout collegiate hitter with the TCU Horned Frogs over his college career. And Taylor continued to live up to the hype, as he blasted 20 home runs between Low-A and High-A in 2024.

Last season, things were complicated. Taylor made regular contact and didn’t have problems elevating on pitches. However, he slashed just .173/.289/.286 with just eight home runs for Montgomery in 2025. But this year has been a little different, as the results have matched up with the player. He stole 20 bases and is three homers away from a 20-20 season.

When Taylor is on, he can be an electric hitter. Doesn’t swing-and-miss a ton and showed a good amount of pull-side power in Double-A Montgomery this season.

Santana is a different kind of prospect. A shortstop by trade, Santana is an outlier in terms of contact made. Very low swing-and-miss. Last season in the South Atlantic League, he had the third-lowest Whiff%, behind only now-Major League Sam Antonacci and Franklin Arias.

The last piece to this deal is Jacob Kisting, who struck out 96 batters over 86 frames for High-A Bowling Green this season, along with a 1.86 ERA. Deep pitch mix, including a four-seam fastball, sweeper, cutter, and a split-change. Not a ton of swing-and-miss but can land strikes. Additionally, he walked only 18 this season.

Analysis

While the Marlins are competing for a playoff spot, the club was in a weird spot where Liam Hicks was (somewhat) expendable.

The club has seen Kyle Stowers establish himself as the everyday first baseman, while rookie Joe Mack has stabilized things behind the plate. We knew heading into the year that Mack could play his position & play it well. But the bat was good over the first few months of his career, making him a keeper.

Miami didn’t do too bad here, getting three legitimate prospects with upside.

As for the Rays, the club currently has Hunter Feduccia and ex-Marlin Nick Fortes as its current catchers. Hicks, at least on paper, is an upgrade.

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