ATLANTA - The Marlins came out of Monday’s Trade Deadline with a clearer picture of what they believe they have: a club that can still chase a playoff spot now, while also building something sturdier for later.
That was the message from president of baseball operations Peter Bendix before Tuesday’s series opener against the Braves, and the roster moves around the deadline backed it up. Miami added right-hander Victor Vodnik to the bullpen, brought rookie Ekness back from the 60-day injured list and selected Jack Ralston’s contract.
“I feel like we accomplished our goal of continuing to build towards a championship-level organization while fully understanding that this year's team is good and we have a real shot at the playoffs, and we wanted to have that in mind as well,” said president of baseball operations Peter Bendix.
Vodnik is the newest arm in a relief group Miami still feels strongly about. The numbers are eye-catching: a 98.6 mph average fastball and a 55.6% ground-ball rate, which place him in the 96th and 95th percentiles, respectively. The Marlins believe leaving Coors Field and adjusting how he uses his pitches can unlock more.
They also plan to bring him along carefully instead of throwing him straight into the highest-pressure spots. That approach is possible because Pete Fairbanks, Michael Petersen and Calvin Faucher have all been throwing well.
“Victor was somebody we specifically targeted,” Bendix said. “We think that he's somebody that we can help get a lot better.
We think he's somebody with really good stuff. … We think he has traits that you can't teach.”
Bendix said the bullpen still looks strong both now and down the road, and the club’s control situation supports that view. Everyone in the relief corps is under club control beyond this season except Fairbanks. Miami also expects 2025 breakout star Ronny Henriquez back from right elbow surgery in 2027.
“Still feel really good about our bullpen moving forward, both for this year and beyond,” Bendix said.
The catching picture also changed after the deadline. Liam Hicks was moved because of the rise of rookie Joe Mack, whose defense has already put him in Gold Glove-caliber territory.
Hicks had started hot offensively and remained near the top of the team in several categories, but he was squeezed out behind Mack at catcher and Kyle Stowers at first base. Miami also has a left-handed-heavy roster, with Mack, Stowers, Owen Caissie, Griffin Conine and Jakob Marsee all on that side.
“Joe Mack is a budding superstar, and Joe Mack is going to catch as many games as he can handle for us, and that is not a knock on Liam,” Bendix said. “That is a compliment to Joe Mack. And so, the thinking with Liam is that there would be other teams that might value Liam as a catcher maybe more than we do, only because they don't have Joe Mack and we do.
“… There's only so many at-bats to go around. So we felt that this was a move that we could make that would help the future Marlins without taking away very much from the current Marlins.”
Miami will keep carrying three catchers: Mack, Ramírez and Brian Navarreto. Mack is expected to start almost every day. Ramírez takes over Hicks’ old job as backup catcher and designated hitter, with some first-base work possible too.
The Marlins also dealt Braxton Garrett, another move that reflected how much confidence they have in their pitching depth. For much of their hot June, the only healthy starter in the rotation was Sandy Alcantara, and manager Clayton McCullough kept saying the club had enough arms to survive. He was right.
“That was one of the reasons we were able to trade away Braxton,” Bendix said. “We really liked what we got for Braxton.
That's why we did it. But we also do feel like we have a good amount of starting pitching depth, both for now and the future.”
Miami’s rotation picture still includes Alcantara, whose contract has a team option, plus Eury Pérez, All-Star Max Meyer, Janson Junk, Tyler Phillips and Ryan Gusto, all of whom have multiple years of club control. Adam Mazur and Robby Snelling, both rehabbing from elbow surgery, are expected back in 2027, and top prospect Thomas White has not made his debut yet.
Bendix was also asked whether Brayden Taylor’s ability to play third base helped make him such an appealing pickup. Before answering, he called the 24-year-old prospect an “elite third baseman,” and noted that third base is a thin area in the organization.
“That absolutely factored in,” Bendix said. “We don't want to bypass talent best available just for fit, but the fit does matter, especially in our current circumstances. We have a lot of good players at the Major League level, in Triple-A and Double-A, so if we're going to add somebody new to that group, the bar is very high for them, and I do think Brayden fits really nicely.”
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