Rays Acquire Catcher Liam Hicks from Marlins
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Tampa Bay Rays have acquired catcher Liam Hicks from the Miami Marlins in exchange for three minor league players: right-handed pitcher Jacob Kisting, infielder Adrian Santana, and infielder Brayden Taylor.
Hicks, 27, has batted .282/.363/.432 (100-for-354) with nine doubles, one triple, 14 home runs, 62 RBI, 40 walks, 39 strikeouts, 54 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 101 games for the Marlins this season. This includes a .307 (84-for-274) average, an .876 OPS, and 13 home runs against right-handed pitchers. The left-handed batter leads all Miami hitters in RBI (62) and multi-RBI games (19), the latter of which are tied for fifth most in the National League (NL), and is hitting .298 (28-for-94) with runners in scoring position. Hicks is currently on pace for 20 home runs—in Rays history, the only primary catcher with a 20-homer season is Mike Zunino, who hit 33 homers in 2021.
He owns the majors’ fourth-lowest whiff rate (10.9 pct.) and fourth-lowest strikeout rate (9.5 pct.). Additionally, Hicks is one of seven qualified major league hitters with more walks (40) than strikeouts (39) and one of four in the NL, joining Philadelphia’s Luis Arraez (25 walks, 21 strikeouts), Arizona’s Geraldo Perdomo (69 walks, 56 strikeouts), and New York-NL’s Juan Soto (63 walks, 48 strikeouts). He has split 90 starts this season between designated hitter (39), catcher (32), and first base (19).
In 220 career games spanning two seasons with the Marlins (2025-26), Hicks has slashed .265/.355/.391 (182-for-686) with 22 doubles, two triples, 20 home runs, 107 RBI, 83 walks, 95 strikeouts, 91 runs scored, and five stolen bases. Last season, he paced all major league rookies with a 0.77 walk-to-strikeout ratio (43 walks, 56 strikeouts).
A Toronto, Ontario native, Hicks was selected to play for Team Canada at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He is set to become the fifth Canadian-born player to appear for the Rays and the second catcher along with Pete LaForest (2003-05). He will also join outfielder Tristan Peters (2025), left-handed pitcher Erik Bedard (2014), and outfielder Rich Butler (1998-99).
Hicks was selected by the Texas Rangers in the ninth round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of Arkansas State University before being traded to the Detroit Tigers on July 28, 2024, alongside right-handed pitcher Tyler Owens in exchange for catcher Carson Kelly. The Marlins selected him from the Tigers with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft.
Kisting, the Rays No. 26 prospect (MLB.com), was acquired from the Minnesota Twins on Nov. 18, 2025, in exchange for right-handed pitcher Eric Orze. The 23-year-old has made 18 appearances (16 starts) with Class-A Bowling Green in 2026, pitching to a 6-0 record with a 1.67 ERA (86.0IP, 16ER), 96 strikeouts, a 0.87 WHIP, and a .180 (57-for-316) opponent batting average. His ERA, WHIP, and opponent average all pace High-A pitchers.
Santana, who was selected by the Rays in Competitive Balance Round A (No. 31 overall) of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft, is hitting a combined .311 (71-for-228) with eight doubles, one triple, three home runs, 24 RBI, 19 walks, 42 runs scored, and 23 stolen bases over 54 games between Class-A Bowling Green (51 games) and the FCL Rays (three games). The Rays No. 27 prospect (MLB.com), Santana ranks seventh in High-A with a .316 (68-for-215) batting average (minimum 200 at-bats).
Taylor, the Rays No. 16 prospect (MLB.com), is hitting .284 (91-for-320) with 16 doubles, three triples, 17 home runs, 56 RBI, 51 walks, and 59 runs scored over 88 games with Double-A Montgomery this season. The 24-year-old was a first-round selection (No. 19 overall) by the Rays in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft.