Rays Add Depth at Catcher in Trade With Marlins After Departure of Danny Jansen
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The Tampa Bay Rays are acquiring catcher Nick Fortes from the Miami Marlins for outfield prospect Matthew Etzel.
News of Tampa Bay's discussions to acquire Fortes were first reported by MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, and later confirmed by insider Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
The Rays are acquiring C Nick Fortes from the Marlins for OF Matthew Etzel (Rays No. 28 prospect), per source. Fortes replaces Danny Jansen (traded to Brewers) and is under control through 2028.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 28, 2025
The acquisition of Fortes comes as part of a pair of moves orchestrated by Tampa Bay’s front office on Monday. The Rays also sent catcher Danny Jansen and cash considerations to the Milwaukee Brewers for 21-year-old prospect Jadher Areinamo.
Fortes, 28, has spent the entirety of his career with the Marlins after the organization selected him out of Missouri in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB Draft. In 2025, Fortes had a .240/.288/.349 slash line with a .637 OPS in 59 games with the Marlins.
Since making his MLB debut on Sept. 18, 2021, Fortes has a .225 career average with 25 homers and 96 RBIs in 363 games. He will fill the backstop gap left by Jansen with three years of arbitration remaining. He will earn $1.86 million this season.
Originally selected out of Southern Mississippi by the Baltimore Orioles in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB Draft, Etzel came to the Rays in the trade that sent right-hander Zach Eflin to Baltimore before last season’s trade deadline. Etzel, 23, has spent the 2025 season with the Montgomery Biscuits, Tampa Bay’s Double-A affiliate.
In 56 games with the Biscuits this season, Etzel is hitting .230 (45-for-196) with 34 RBIs and five home runs.
After looking like a playoff contender in June, the Rays have experienced a difficult July. At 54-53 the Rays are chasing the third American League wild-card spot.
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Don Strouble is a sports journalist who covers Tampa Bay Rays baseball and other sports for the ‘’On SI’’ network. He is a Northeast Ohio native and currently lives in Orlando, Fla.
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