With the trade deadline down to its final 24 hours, the Red Sox still have work to do if they want to leave July looking like a real October threat. Boston has been connected to plenty of teams, and the Miami Marlins have been part of that conversation for a while, especially when it comes to shortstop Otto Lopez. That pursuit has gone nowhere so far, but Miami may have a different player available who fits Boston’s needs even better: catcher Liam Hicks.
The Marlins are not eager to move long-term pieces with real value, particularly Lopez, because of his team control. Hicks, though, appears to be the exception. According to Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, Miami is open to dealing him because of a roster crunch.
“While Miami is trying to avoid dealing long-term centerpieces, they would consider dealing catcher Liam Hicks, who has posted a .283/.364/.434 line with 14 homers this year. Because the Marlins have rookie Joe Mack as their everyday catcher, Hicks is primarily a DH for Miami, who catches roughly one game per week. He could be more valuable to another team that would give him more frequent work behind the dish,” Speier wrote.
The Red Sox are already on that trail, too. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon reported that Boston has interest in Hicks.
From a baseball standpoint, Hicks makes a lot of sense for the Red Sox. Neither half of Boston’s current catching platoon has offered more at the plate than Hicks has this season. The left-handed hitter brings real pop, and his pull-heavy approach could play well with Pesky’s Pole sitting there for cheap power.
In 100 games, Hicks is hitting .283/.364/.434/.798 with nine doubles, 14 homers, and 62 RBI. That production tops Wong’s numbers and blows past Narvaez’s offensively, even if Narvaez remains the stronger defender behind the plate.
There’s also the longer view. Hicks comes with plenty of team control, including a year of pre-arbitration and three more arbitration seasons. That gives any acquiring club roughly four and a half years of control, which is exactly the kind of value Boston should be chasing.
If the Red Sox can land Hicks and add another bat of All-Star caliber, they could still come out of the deadline looking like winners.
In Other News...
Red Sox Eye One More Deadline Move To Fix A Lingering Problem
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According to reports, the club has continued to monitor Washingtons infield market while looking for another move that would address the lingering issue. The interest points toward a player who has been productive this season, and the price could require Boston to part with a notable major league piece or a pitcher from the current roster mix. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Wild Card Push Suddenly Hinges On Two Unsettled Developments
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The bigger organizational questions are still simmering behind the scenes. Tanner Houcks recovery from UCL surgery has reached the point where he is throwing in bullpen sessions, and the possibility of a late-season return adds another layer to Bostons pitching picture. On the roster front, the Red Sox have also had interest in Luis Garca Jr., but the Yankees are close to getting there first, which would force Boston to keep looking for help as the deadline pressure and the playoff chase continue to overlap. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Face One Huge Deadline Decision On A Star Catcher
The Red Sox are staring at a late-breaking catcher decision with real consequences, as Boston and Baltimore have already lined up the framework of a potential deal involving Adley Rutschman. Prospects have been identified, medical information has been exchanged and the sides have gotten far enough along that the only remaining hurdle is Bostons final approval.
Rutschmans status adds another layer to the pause, since he is dealing with an injury that has kept him out. For a Red Sox club weighing both the short-term fit and the long-term cost, that makes this less about simply adding a name and more about deciding whether the timing, health and price all line up well enough to move forward. [Read more 🡒]