The Rays made another move before the MLB Trade Deadline, acquiring catcher Liam Hicks from the Marlins. Hicks brings power, years of team control, and an offensive upgrade behind the plate as Tampa Bay continues to reshape its roster for a postseason push.
The Tampa Bay Rays have made their second trade of the week.
With the MLB trade deadline looming just hours away, Erik Neander and the Rays front office acquired some more offensive talent to help push Tampa Bay into a hopeful deep playoff run.
On Monday, the Rays acquired catcher Liam Hicks in a trade with the Miami Marlins.
So far this season, Hicks is hitting a .282 batting average and a .795 OPS. His 14 home runs and 62 RBIs are a huge improvement compared to the other catchers currently on the Rays roster.
Hicks was acquired by the Marlins after the 2024 season when he was selected in the Rule 5 draft.
The former Arkansas State catcher has vastly improved his offensive production, limiting his strikeouts and increasing his power in 2026, his second full season in the major leagues.
In return, the Rays will send over three prospects: Brayden Taylor, Adrian Santana, and Jacob Kisting.
Taylor, who plays second or third base, is listed as the Rays' 16th-best prospect according to MLB Pipeline and has an expected major league debut date for 2027. Santana is a young 21-year-old shortstop who is considered the 27th best inside the system. He is currently in High-A and is not expected to make his MLB debut until 2028. Kisting is listed at #26 and is currently pitching very well for Class A Bowling Green. So far this season, he is 6-0 with a 1.67 ERA across 18 appearances and has 96 strikeouts over 86 innings of work.
This deal is not a rental for Tampa Bay, as Hicks has approximately four years left of team control after this season. He has signed through the 2030 season and will not become an unrestricted free agent until 2031.
This is the second trade of the week, right before the trade deadline for the Tampa Bay Rays, as they recently acquired Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets on Sunday.
Tampa Bay could still use a potential bullpen arm as well as a middle infielder before the deadline arrives later on today.
The MLB trade deadline is today, Monday, August 3rd at 6:00 p.m. Eastern.
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