The Miami Marlins may not have acted yet, but the deadline picture is starting to take shape fast. With Tarik Skubal already off the board after landing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the market has begun to loosen up, and Miami still has room to make noise before Monday’s 6:00 pm ET cutoff. This is also a front office that has shown it can move quickly when the moment hits, as Peter Bendix’s group made six trades on deadline day in 2024.
One move that feels especially plausible is Liam Hicks getting dealt. Hicks has been productive in 100 games, batting .283/.364/.434/.798 with 14 home runs, 62 RBI and a 120 wRC+.
His 9.5% strikeout rate is the fourth-lowest in MLB and the lowest among all catchers. Even so, his role in Miami has shifted.
He opened the year as the club’s primary catcher, but once Joe Mack was called up, Hicks ended up mostly at designated hitter, especially after Kyle Stowers moved to first base. That kind of bat plays up elsewhere, particularly for a team without a strong defensive catcher of its own.
The Yankees have been searching for help behind the plate, and the White Sox have gotten the worst offensive production from the position at 42 wRC+. The Red Sox, Astros and Phillies also stand out as possible buyers, with those clubs at 74 wRC+, 76 wRC+ and 56 wRC+, respectively.
Another expectation is that Miami will try to turn Xavier Edwards into starting pitching with multiple years of control. The Marlins’ rotation has been patched together with Sandy Alcantara, Ryan Gusto, Eury Pérez, Janson Junk and Tyler Phillips, and that group still needs help not just for 2026 but beyond it.
Gusto has been uneven, Junk has a limited ceiling and Phillips looks better suited for a bullpen role in high-leverage spots. Max Meyer, Robby Snelling, Adam Mazur and Thomas White are all injured and not close to returning.
Seattle’s Emerson Hancock is an appealing target, though the Mariners are unlikely to move him after already dealing Luis Castillo to the Chicago White Sox this week. Boston could also be a fit, with the Red Sox having starters to move and a need at second base after Curtis Mead’s unlucky injury.
Left-hander Payton Tolle is one possibility there; in 18 starts, he owns a 3.30 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 9.80 K/9 and 2.58 BB/9, and he’s controllable through 2031. Edwards, meanwhile, is hitting .288/.368/.395/.763 with six homers, 40 RBI, 18 steals and a 111 wRC+.
He turns 27 next week and is under club control through 2029, with arbitration coming for the first time after this season. His offense has cooled over the last two months, and while he’s steady at second base, he doesn’t bring much positional flexibility.
Javier Sanoja could step in if Miami has a plan to cover third base in the same move.
The Marlins also look likely to move more than one reliever, and “multiple” probably means two. Pete Fairbanks is the clearest candidate.
He’s a pending free agent, and his numbers show both the problem and the appeal: a 6.55 ERA, 4.93 FIP, 12.06 K/9, 3.67 BB/9 and 16 saves in 37 games. Even with the rough patch, his recent outings have made him look more like the $13 million pitcher teams expected, and his strikeout rate is actually the highest it has been since 2023.
Most of the damage has come in non-save situations, which could make contenders more willing to bet on his track record. Miami should be willing to cover as much of his salary as needed to maximize the return.
John King is another name to watch. After struggling with the St.
Louis Cardinals, he has been excellent since joining Miami late in free agency, posting a 2.45 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 6.55 K/9 and 2.45 BB/9 in 44 appearances. Left-handed relief help is always in demand, and King still has another year of control beyond this season, which only increases his value.
Michael Petersen is also in the mix. He has minimal major league experience, has bounced around the league and is finally putting things together at age 32, with a 3.20 ERA, 3.28 FIP, 10.40 K/9 and 3.60 BB/9 this year.
Miami has used him in all kinds of situations and mostly gotten good results, and since he isn’t even arbitration-eligible yet, the club could decide to cash in now rather than risk him slipping back into the kind of inconsistent Quad-A profile that followed him around before this season.
In Other News...
Marlins Outfield Depth Just Took Another Hit With This Latest Move
Rece Hinds barely had time to settle into the Marlins' outfield mix before the organization moved on again, dealing the young outfielder to Baltimore in a cash trade. Hinds had come over from Cincinnati earlier this season, giving Miami another low-cost depth option for a group that has spent much of the year trying to patch together the corners and center field behind its regulars.
For the Marlins, it is another small but telling hit to outfield depth, the kind of move that can matter later if injuries or uneven production force the club back into the market. Baltimore, meanwhile, had the roster space to take a look and may have a little more runway to evaluate what Hinds can offer before the season ends. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Just Gave Fans A New Reason To Debate The Future
The trade deadline turned into a full-scale prospect shuffle across the league, with 83 prospects changing teams in the week leading up to it and 62 of them moving on deadline day. Several clubs made the kind of moves that instantly reshape the look of a farm system, and the Mets stood out by landing eight Top 30 prospects, including a new No. 1 in Jefferson Rojas. The Orioles, Giants, Tigers, Nationals and Angels also came away with multiple top prospects, giving their fan bases plenty to argue about when it comes to the long-term payoff.
For Miami, that broader spending spree matters because the deadline was heavy on young talent and light on patience, the exact mix that tends to define where a front office thinks it stands. While some teams walked away with major prospect volume and others with a franchise-altering headliner, the Marlins are in the group of clubs that added four Top 30 prospects, a sign that the deadline was not just about subtraction. The real question now is how those additions stack up against the rest of the market and what it says about the direction Miami is taking from here. [Read more 🡒]
Agustin Ramirezs Return Puts Miami In An Awkward Roster Spot
Agustin Ramirez is back in the Marlins mix as Miami sorts through the roster fallout after the deadline, and his return adds another layer to a group that has already been shuffled. The club also activated right-hander Josh Ekness from the 60-day injured list, with Dax Fulton coming out of the bullpen picture, and selected Jack Ralstons contract before sending him to Triple-A to open a 40-man spot.
For Miami, the larger question is how Ramirez fits once he is back in the lineup on a regular basis. His bat gives the Marlins another option to lean on, but the roster decisions around him suggest the team is still balancing roles and trying to make the pieces fit without much margin for error. [Read more 🡒]