The trade deadline is less than a week away, and two of baseball’s biggest spenders are hunting for the same thing: a catcher who can actually hit. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox both need help behind the plate, and according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, a name that’s starting to float around is Miami Marlins backstop Liam Hicks.
Feinsand posted on X that the Marlins are open to moving Hicks, who has spent most of this season at first base or DH instead of catcher. That’s because Miami has Joe Mack holding down the catching job. But for a team like the Yankees or Red Sox, Hicks could slide right in as a primary option at catcher.
Hicks is having a solid year. Through 95 games he’s batting .279 with 14 homers and 60 RBIs. Not elite numbers but not nothing either. Especially when you look at what else is floating around on the trade market.
Other names have been mentioned. Cleveland’s Ryan Jeffers is out there. So is Colorado’s Hunter Goodman, though that feels like more of a long shot. Feinsand also noted that the St. Louis Cardinals might be willing to part with Pedro Pagés or Iván Herrera, since they’ve got two top catching prospects in Leo Bernal and the No. 1 ranked Rainiel Rodriguez. That could shake things up if the Cardinals decide to sell.
The Yankees and Red Sox aren’t the only teams looking. The Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers are also in the market for catching help according to Feinsand. So there’s competition.
Neither New York nor Boston has confirmed anything yet. But the rumor mill is churning and with the Aug. 3 deadline coming fast, expect some movement soon. The question is whether Hicks is the guy or just a name on a longer list that gets crossed off when something bigger comes along.
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