Giants, Marlins Linked to Surprising Trade Before MLB Deadline

The Miami Marlins and San Francisco Giants could represent very viable trade partners before the MLB trade deadline, but one recent move was suggested that would come as quite a surprise.

Kevin Barral of Fish on First recently published a piece on Marlins catcher Nick Fortes, who appears to be the odd man out in a rotation that features Agustin Ramirez and Liam Hicks, both of whom have been very impressive during their rookie campaigns.

While the Giants may be more interested in prying away one of Miami's pitchers or an outfielder like Jesus Sanchez or Dane Myers, Barral named San Francisco as a potential landing spot for Fortes, who would not exactly represent a flashy acquisition for anyone.

Fortes has actually been somewhat respectable with the bat for a change this year, slashing .250/.300/.360 with two home runs and 10 RBI over 122 plate appearances. However, he posted a sub-.600 OPS in both 2023 and 2024, which could give some teams pause in a possible trade for him.

Where Fortes shines, however, is defensively, where he has established himself as a very solid backstop.

"More importantly, Fortes is a well-rounded defender," Barral writes. "He ranks in the 89th percentile among MLB catchers in blocks above average, 73rd percentile in framing and 73rd percentile in pop time. He is under club control through 2028."

And to be perfectly honest, he may not be any worse offensively than what the Giants currently have to offer at the catcher position.

"The Giants currently find themselves dead last in OPS and second to last in wRC+ at the catching position," Barral added. "As good as Patrick Bailey is defensively, he has been a clear liability in the lineup, slashing .193/.258/.292/.551 with two home runs, 26 RBI and a 56 wRC+. Bailey's offensive-minded backup was supposed to be Tom Murphy, but he's been sidelined all season due to a back injury."

It's not a trade you would be waiting for, especially considering that Fortes is not really a household name. Heck, you would be hard-pressed to find any non-Marlins fans to know who he is. But perhaps Miami and San Francisco can find common ground on a trade here before July 31.

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