The trade deadline is barely a week away and the catching market is thin, which is exactly why one Marlins backstop nobody talked about in spring training is now the center of the sport's rumor mill. Mark Feinsand laid out the landscape bluntly: 6 teams are shopping for catching help, and the pool of realistic targets isn't deep.
Feinsand named the 6 teams in on catching and flagged Liam Hicks as the guy to watch.
The catching market has six suitors (NYY, BOS, TB, CHW, TEX, LAD), but the options aren't overwhelming. One name to watch: Liam Hicks of the Marlins. Sources say Miami is open to trading Hicks, who has played more at 1B/DH than C thanks to the presence of Joe Mack.
The Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, White Sox, Rangers and Dodgers are all reportedly kicking tires, and Hicks is the name generating the most buzz. The 27-year-old has quietly put together a strong season in Miami, but he's been squeezed off the position because rookie Joe Mack has locked down the everyday catching job with his glove, pushing Hicks into more time at first base and DH. That logjam, combined with the Marlins' recent slide out of playoff contention, has reportedly made Miami willing to move him for the right return.
St. Louis is working a different angle on the same problem. The Cardinals have a catching surplus rather than a shortage, and it's deep enough that they can afford to sell from it. Rainiel Rodriguez, their top catching prospect, is already mashing at Double-A, and Leo Bernal isn't far behind at Triple-A — which means St. Louis doesn't need both Pedro Pagés and Iván Herrera long-term.
Feinsand reported the Cardinals could dangle either Pedro Pagés or Iván Herrera with two top catching prospects rising through the system.
The Cardinals -- who have the top catching prospect in MLB (Rainiel Rodriguez) at Double-A and another of their Top 5 prospects (Leo Bernal) at Triple-A -- could also be open to moving one of their catchers, likely either Pedro Pagés or Iván Herrera, per sources.
Herrera, who picked up his first All-Star nod this year, brings the kind of right-handed bat that plenty of the buyers above are missing behind the plate, while Pagés offers a steadier defensive profile. Either would slot in as a clear upgrade for a contender scrambling for stability at catcher down the stretch, and St. Louis holds real leverage knowing Rodriguez and Bernal are both on the way.
What makes this market interesting is the mismatch between demand and supply. Six playoff-hopeful teams chasing catching, and really only two or three players who fit the profile of a rental-plus-upside piece. That scarcity tends to inflate prices fast, and it's why a guy like Hicks — who wasn't even a household name a month ago — is suddenly drawing calls from half the league.
Miami controls Hicks through 2031, so this isn't a pure salary dump; any team meeting the Marlins' price will have to give up real young talent, not just a rental-sized package. Expect the phones between Miami, St. Louis and the six suitors to stay hot until the deadline closes, with whichever team lands Hicks, Pagés or Herrera instantly reshaping its lineup behind the plate for the stretch run.