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...
Rays Linked To An All-Star Bat Who Could Change Everything
A familiar trade-market name is starting to surface again, and it makes sense for a Rays club always looking for ways to squeeze more offense out of its roster. According to USA Todays Bob Nightengale, Tampa Bay is viewed as the heavy favorite to land a three-time batting champion from San Francisco, with the Giants expected to sell and several contenders monitoring the situation.
The appeal is obvious for a Rays team that values contact, versatility and run creation in the margins. Philadelphia, Boston and Texas are also said to be in the mix, so Tampa Bay is not alone here, but any move that adds that kind of bat would reshape the conversation around the lineup in a hurry. For now, it is a matter of whether the Rays can turn a strong position into an actual deal. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Catching Picture Just Got A Lot More Interesting
The Rays have been busy reshaping the roster, and their latest move adds another layer to a catching mix that already had some intrigue. According to MLB insider Jeff Passan, Tampa Bay has landed Liam Hicks from the Miami Marlins, continuing a stretch of aggression that also brought in starter Freddy Peralta from the New York Mets.
Hicks is expected to give the Rays more flexibility behind the plate and in the defensive alignment, while also adding some offense to a lineup that can always use another productive bat. For a club that has spent the week making clear it wants more depth and more options, this is the kind of move that could matter in more ways than one, especially once the full catching picture comes into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Just Missed On A Deadline Target That Could Sting
The trade deadline brought another aggressive move in Philadelphia, where the Phillies continued adding to their roster by landing second baseman Luis Arraez and reliever Caleb Kilian from the Giants for starting pitcher Ramon Marquez and reliever Marty Gair. They also separately added pitcher Brooks Raley from the Mets, underscoring how active they were in the final stretch before the deadline and how quickly the market can move when contenders start picking off available talent.
For the Rays, the larger takeaway may be less about what the Phillies gained than where this particular player ended up. Arraez had been a name on Tampa Bays radar, and for a while the club looked like it had a real shot to bring him in before the deal swung in another direction. In a deadline market built on thin margins and fast decisions, missing on a target like that can linger, especially when the player fits so neatly into the kind of lineup the Rays like to build. [Read more 🡒]