The Tampa Bay Rays didn’t wait around at the 2026 MLB trade deadline. Sitting strong at the top of the American League East, they went out and added another impact bat, landing 27-year-old catcher Liam Hicks from the Miami Marlins in a deal first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Hicks arrives in the middle of a breakout year. Through 101 games, he has 100 hits and has hit .265/.355/.391 with 14 home runs and 62 RBIs. That kind of production gives Tampa Bay another legitimate threat as it pushes toward a World Series run.
The cost was a prospect package that, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, sends infielder Brayden Taylor, shortstop Adrian Santana and right-handed pitcher Jacob Kisting to Miami.
The Hicks move came on the heels of another major addition: the Rays also acquired Freddy Peralta via trade from the New York Mets, a move aimed at strengthening the rotation. That matters even more with Shane McClanahan currently on the injured list.
Here’s how the Rays’ updated group looks after the latest shakeup:
Pitchers:
SP: Drew Rasmussen, Shane McClanahan*, Freddy Peralta, Nick Martinez, Griffin Jax
RP: Garrett Cleavinger, Kevin Kelly, Cole Sulser*, Cam Booser, Manuel Rodriguez*
CL: Bryan Baker
*Currently on IL
Peralta’s numbers this season have been rough - 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA - but Tampa Bay is clearly betting on a rebound. The Rays are hoping he gets back closer to the version of himself that dominated early in his career with the Milwaukee Brewers. In 2025, Peralta went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA and 204 strikeouts.
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 🡒]