What Liam Hicks Trade Means for the Miami Marlins Playoff Chances
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The Miami Marlins have made the move to trade one of their best hitters of the first half, Liam Hicks, to the Tampa Bay Rays.
In return, the Marlins received three prospects: infielder Brayden Taylor, infielder Adrian Santana, and right-handed pitcher Jacob Kisting. Miami was 1.5 games out of the final NL wild-card spot at the time of the deal and were riding a three-game winning streak. But how does this deal impact Miami's playoff hopes?
The Hicks Trade Might Not Hurt the Marlins Down the Stretch
Hicks had a good short run with the Marlins. He hit for a .284 batting average with 14 home runs and 62 RBI this season in Miami. Hicks had some great games with the Marlins, especially in April and May. Now, he's going to another Florida team, which is in first place in the AL East.
The trade is a win-win situation because Hicks will get to have more playing time as a catcher, which the Rays needed. For the Marlins, they needed more infield depth and also to acquire an arm. Santana is a 21-year-old shortstop who might not be guaranteed to play short for the rest of his career. The Marlins might put him at third in the future.
In terms of playoff chances, the Marlins still have a chance. Trading away Hicks doesn't affect them. Joe Mack will get to have many more opportunities to catch for the Marlins. The trade tells us that the organization wants to have Mack as their catcher for the long haul.
Hicks also played first base, but in every season, during the trade deadline, teams must make some tough decisions.
The Marlins still have their top three starters: Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez and Max Meyer. They still have their top hitters: Xavier Edwards, Otto Lopez and Kyle Stowers, the last of which Miami wisely didn't trade.
Mack is still growing and developing. Griffin Conine is getting hot at the right time. Javier Sanoja can give you maximum effort when he gets enough playing time. Agustin Ramirez is still on the 40-man roster. Therefore, the Marlins might flirt around and call him up and perhaps have him as a designated hitter. Ramirez may not be a good defender, but he can hit.
The Marlins still have a shot to make some noise down the stretch without Hicks.
Kisting is an intriguing addition to the Marlins. He's 23 years old and posted a 6-0 record with a 1.67 ERA this season. Who knows what they can do in the big leagues? We don't see him get promoted this month or September, but it wouldn't be too much of a surprise if the Marlins decide to throw him into the wolves late in the season to see if he can handle the heat.
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After graduating from City College of New York in 2014, Miguel created his own blog. Since 2021, he has written for FanSided, where he covered the Toronto Blue Jays, College Football and Utah Mammoth hockey team. He also wrote for Miami Heat on SI and Cleveland Sports Talk. Miguel is the creator and host of his podcast, Baseball Heat Podcast with Mike.