The Miami Marlins are in an unusual spot as Monday’s MLB trade deadline approaches: still alive in the playoff race, yet still fielding interest on some of their players.
According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, Miami is talking more actively about catcher Liam Hicks and first baseman/outfielder Kyle Stowers than it is about shortstop Otto López and second baseman Xavier Edwards. That gives a clear read on which names are moving to the front of the conversation as the deadline gets closer.
Two American League East clubs have already surfaced as teams to watch. The Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox are among the teams interested in Hicks, the writers reported. The New York Yankees are not part of those talks, with Rosenthal and Sammon noting that Hicks bats left-handed and the Yankees want a right-handed hitting receiver.
That AL East backdrop makes the situation even more interesting. Boston and Tampa Bay are battling for division position, and the Yankees remain in the mix as well. Tampa Bay entered Sunday in first place in the division.
Miami’s record has kept the club in the picture. The Marlins are 57-55 and sitting third in the National League East behind the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.
Inside the clubhouse, though, the message is to block out the deadline chatter and keep pushing.
“You just deal with it as best as you can,” Hicks said, per MLB.com. “Obviously, you're going to hear some stuff, but luckily, this team's just focused on winning right now, so it helps a lot when you're a team that knows that you've got a chance to go to the playoffs.
You're not really focused on everyone selling and all that stuff because we really think we've got a chance. That's good coming to the ballpark and having that on your mind.”
One player who has drawn plenty of attention around the league is starter Sandy Alcantara. The Marlins have heard from other clubs interested in the right-hander this year, but they have reportedly told teams he will not be traded before the deadline.
Miami was set to play the New York Mets on Sunday.
In Other News...
Marlins Just Made A Catcher Move Fans Will Want Explained
The Marlins have made a notable move behind the plate, sending catcher Liam Hicks to the Tampa Bay Rays in a deal that brings back three prospects: infielder Brayden Taylor, infielder Adrian Santana and right-hander Jacob Kisting. Hicks was under team control through 2030 and had been producing a strong 2026 season, so this is the kind of trade that naturally gets attention from a fan base trying to understand where the organization is headed next.
Miami is betting on upside in the return, with all three players sitting among Tampa Bays top 30 prospects before the deal. Hicks, meanwhile, gives the Rays a catcher they view as ready to handle a bigger role, while the Marlins add more young talent to a system that keeps trying to build depth and flexibility for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Catching Need Just Put A New Marlins Trade Target In Play
The Marlins have spent plenty of the summer sorting through trade chatter around their young, controllable bats, and that conversation has only grown louder as the deadline nears. First baseman/outfielder Kyle Stowers has steadied himself since June, while catcher-first baseman Liam Hicks has given Miami a productive option on both sides of the ball, the kind of player other clubs can justify chasing because of the years of control still attached.
Miami is expected to listen on a range of possibilities, and the catching market has become especially interesting with teams looking for help behind the plate. That has pushed Hicks into a more prominent spot in the rumor mill alongside Stowers, with several clubs keeping tabs on the Marlins situation and weighing whether the ask makes sense for a player who could fit a contender's roster for more than just a few months. [Read more 🡒]