After talks with Miami over All-Star shortstop Otto Lopez fell apart, the Red Sox have reportedly shifted their focus to Miami backstop Liam Hicks.
There are less than 24 hours until the MLB trade deadline, and the Boston Red Sox continue to leave no stone unturned as they pursue major upgrades to their lineup. Among the teams they have spoken to about both shortstops and catchers, their two main areas of focus, is the Miami Marlins, who have both All-Star shortstop Otto Lopez and catcher Liam Hicks.
MassLive.com's Sean McAdam reported on Saturday night that any hopes of Boston landing Lopez are "dead," thanks to the exorbitant asking price. Could Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow look to acquire Hicks to fill the team's need for a long-term solution at catcher?
About Hicks
The 27-year-old backstop is in his second season in the big leagues, where he is hitting .282/.363/.432/.795 with 14 home runs in 101 games for Miami while splitting time between first base, catcher, and designated hitter. Hicks does well to limit swing and miss, ranking in the 98th percentile with a 10.9 percent whiff rate, while his 26.8 percent chase rate ranks in the 68th percentile. Put it all together, and the left-handed hitting backstop strikes out only 9.4 percent of the time, the fifth-lowest rate among 150 qualified hitters, while walking 9.9 percent.
May 23, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins designated hitterLiamHicks(34) rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the New York Mets during the third inning at loanDepot Park. Sam Navarro-Imagn ImagesDefensively, Hicks is not the most polished catcher. His -1 blocks above average ranks in the 37th percentile, while his framing falls in the 33rd percentile. Similarly, he struggles to throw out runners on the base paths. Thanks to a pop time of 1.98 seconds, runners have successfully stolen 27 bases on 32 attempts. He has won 30 of his 57 challenges behind the plate, a 53 percent rate.
Like nearly all of the Red Sox' rumored trade deadline targets, Hicks comes with multiple years of affordable team control as he will not become a free agent until 2031.
Are the Marlins selling?
According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Red Sox and Rays are among the teams that have checked in with Miami on Hicks' availability. While Miami is not willing to move their pair of young infielders, Lopez or Xavier Edwards, unless their asking price is met, the Marlins have a dearth of catchers in their system, making Hicks more expendable.
However, thanks to his team control, Hicks won't come cheap for any acquiring team. Could Breslow and Marlins head of baseball operations Peter Bendix use their conversations surrounding Lopez to create the framework for a deal involving Hicks?
Jun 1, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Miami Marlins catcherLiamHicks(34) celebrates while rounding the bases after hitting a home run against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. Rafael Suanes-Imagn ImagesWhile Miami has a stable of young arms including All-Star Max Meyer and flamethrower Eury Perez, could they look to continue to build their rotation out behind former Cy Young award winner Sandy Alcantara with either of Boston's top pitching prospects, Anthony Eyanson or Kyson Witherspoon?
It would be a steep price to pay, but if Breslow is confident in the Red Sox catching infrastructures ability to elevate Hicks defensively, he could be the perfect fit to fill the gap behind the plate left behind when the Red Sox traded catcher Kyle Teel to the White Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade.
For more on the Red Sox trade deadline
WBZ and WEEI's Joe Weil joined the 'Entering Kenmore' Podcast to discuss the Red Sox' miraculous midseason turnaround, their pursuit of upgrades ahead of the deadline, and more. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts or YouTube!
The MLB Trade Deadline is Aug. 3 at 6:00 p.m. ET.
