It’s no secret that the New York Yankees have been looking for a catcher, as it is clear to everyone that Austin Wells may not rebound this season. The best-case scenario would be landing a right-handed backstop like Ryan Jeffers, but at this point, beggars can’t be choosers. If the best catcher available ends up being a southpaw, the Yankees should jump on that opportunity to get a deal done.
Right now, there’s a chance that a catcher who fits that profile as a lefty slugger could be made available on the trade market, and that’s Liam Hicks from the Miami Marlins. According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on X, he could be moved for the right price, as the Marlins have a logjam at the position.
“The catching market has six suitors (NYY, BOS, TB, CHW, TEX, LAD), but the options aren’t overwhelming,” Feinsand writes on X. “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.”
By trading for Hicks, the Yankees could have their catcher situation squared up for the next few years. He isn’t arbitration-eligible until 2028 and would be under control until 2031. The Yankees probably don’t want to give up on Wells outright, but with Hicks on the roster, they could feel more comfortable dealing him and adding at another position of need.
Projecting a trade for Liam Hicks
Ben Hess and Henry Lalane are two names that could be dealt to Miami for Hicks. Hess is closer to the big leagues than Lalane, and considering that he could be blocked by the Yankees, he may have more of an opportunity to shine with the Marlins.
Since returning from injury, Hess hasn’t been spectacular, sporting a mediocre 3.94 ERA, but one thing he does best is getting batters to whiff. He has 55 strikeouts in 45.2 IP. Last season, Hess had 139 whiffs in 103.1 innings.
Lalane is another whiff machine in the Yankee organization. He has 93 strikeouts in 71.2 IP, and with a little more time, could even have a higher ceiling than the first-round pick Hess. The Marlins may not have a full-scale fire sale, as Craig Mish has reported, but there’s a surplus at catcher since Joe Mack has taken full control of the backstop duties. Hicks may be the one name to be moved on the team.
Liam Hicks is a pesky bat
Hicks, who is in his second full season in the big leagues, is hitting .282/.359/.439 with a 119 wRC+. While he won’t ever be known for scorching baseballs with his 4th percentile average exit velocity and 11th percentile hard-hit rate, he has a shot at being an irritating bat for opposing pitchers. The Yankees need a little more of that.
Hicks has a 9.9% strikeout rate and is next to impossible to get to swing and miss. How many players in the modern game of baseball can boast that they have about 30 more hits than strikeouts? Hicks has 95 hits and 38 swings and misses this season.
Another thing about Hicks is that he could really take advantage of the short porch. While he won’t ever exhibit an eye-popping exit velocity, few are better at pulling balls in the air. Hicks has a 20.5% pull air rate. According to expected home runs by park, Yankee Stadium would boost his 14-homer total to 16.
Hicks may not be a right-handed bat, but at this point, that isn’t a good enough reason to look the other way if there’s an opportunity to acquire him. They undoubtedly need more righties, but at the same time, they also need competent bats up and down the lineup.
Hicks would be just that. Plus, he is a huge upgrade from Wells. There’s really nothing more important than that at this point.
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