The Marlins came out of Deadline talk with five prospects back in return for Liam Hicks and Braxton Garrett, according to reports, even though the club did not confirm the deals.
Miami’s return for Hicks is headlined by Brayden Taylor, a left-handed-hitting infielder who ranks No. 16 in Tampa Bay’s Top 30. The package also includes right-hander Jacob Kisting, No. 26, and shortstop Adrian Santana, No. 27.
Taylor, 24, was the 19th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. His 2025 season at Double-A was rough, with a .575 OPS, but he got his stock moving again with a strong Arizona Fall League showing, posting an .872 OPS, then followed that with a .897 OPS at Double-A this season after cutting down on his swing-and-miss.
MLB Pipeline pegs him as a 20/20 threat. He’s mostly played third base, a spot where Miami’s system lacks depth, and because he is Rule 5 Draft-eligible this offseason, he’ll need to be added to the 40-man roster.
Kisting, who just cracked the Rays’ Top 30, has been one of the bigger risers in a strong farm system. The 6-foot-5 righty put together a 1.67 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP in 18 games, including 16 starts, at High-A, while striking out 10 per nine and walking 1.9 per nine.
MLB Pipeline describes him as a strike thrower who works from a low three-quarters slot and sits in the low 90s with his fastball. He also shows reverse splits, with a changeup that carries higher spin rates and big horizontal movement, plus a low-spin splitter that gets more drop.
Santana brings speed and athleticism to the mix. The 31st overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft and a local product out of Doral Academy, he has 60-grade run, arm and field tools on MLB Pipeline’s 20-80 scale.
The 21-year-old is in his second run at High-A and has hit .316/.381/.400 in 51 games, drawing 19 walks against 23 strikeouts. He has long shown an ability to hit for average and run, but the next step is adding more impact to a 5-foot-11, 155-pound frame; he has 11 extra-base hits, including three homers.
Garrett’s departure sends another starting pitcher from Miami to Chicago, following the Edward Cabrera deal in January that brought back rookie outfielder Owen Caissie and two other prospects. This time, the Marlins got two prospects for Garrett, who turns 29 on Wednesday.
Garrett returned from a second Tommy John surgery in December 2024 and didn’t break camp with the Marlins, but he was effective at Triple-A, where he logged a 2.90 ERA over 77 2/3 innings. His big league stint, though, went sideways fast: in two starts, he walked eight and allowed seven runs in 4 1/3 innings, and he wasn’t called back up after May.
The Hicks move also fits a familiar pattern with president of baseball operations Peter Bendix and his former organization. Hicks is the second catcher in as many years to go from Miami to Tampa Bay ahead of the Deadline, joining Nick Fortes. Matthew Etzel, who has a .768 OPS at Triple-A Jacksonville this season but is not on the 40-man roster, was the return for Fortes.
Miami acquired Hicks in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft, and his value was at its peak as the club moved him. He had become the Marlins’ most reliable run producer, bringing pop to a left-handed bat that often looked for hits more than power. In 101 games with Miami, the 27-year-old hit .282/.363/.432 with 14 homers and 62 RBIs.
Still, Hicks had slipped behind Gold Glove-caliber rookie Joe Mack, who made his Major League debut in May and is viewed as the franchise’s long-term answer behind the plate. He was also serving as the backup to Kyle Stowers after Stowers moved from the outfield to first base, which left Hicks mostly as the designated hitter to keep his bat in the lineup.
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The Marlins deadline picture is starting to take shape, and it is not centered on the biggest name in the room. Miami is still weighing whether to move pieces before the trade deadline, but the most active conversations appear to be around catcher Liam Hicks and first baseman-outfielder Kyle Stowers, two players who could draw interest from clubs looking for help without paying top-tier prices.
Hicks has already popped up in talks with teams such as the Rays and Red Sox, while the Yankees are not involved there. Sandy Alcantara remains the headline asset on paper, but Miami has made it clear he is not expected to be moved before the deadline, which leaves the Marlins sorting through a trickier middle ground than a simple teardown or a full stand pat. [Read more 🡒]
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
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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 🡒]