The Miami Marlins traded catcher and first baseman Liam Hicks to the Tampa Bay Rays for three minor leaguers, including Double-A infielder Brayden Taylor, right-handed pitcher Jacob Kisting, and infielder Adrian Santana. Hicks, 27, has 14 home runs this season and a .795 OPS while walking more times than he has struck out. Tampa Bay, which leads the American League East by 2.5 games, has hit just 111 homers this year and hopes Hicks will add needed power; he is not arbitration-eligible until 2028. Miami made the move despite sitting only 1.5 games out of a playoff spot after a season that included a best-ever June, a 12-game losing streak, and a recent six-of-seven run against the Phillies and Mets. The trade sends one of Miami’s most valuable everyday hitters north and gives the Rays a left-handed power bat behind the plate and in the lineup for the stretch run.
