Marlins add catcher. What Bendix said when asked when team will spend and fan frustration
A day after dealing Jake Burger, their top power hitter, to Texas, the Marlins made their second notable transaction of the Winter Meetings, adding Liam Hicks, a decent-hitting catcher, in Wednesday’s Rule 5 draft.
Acquired by Detroit from Texas before last year’s trade deadline, Hicks hit .264 with a .379 on-base average with 6 HR and 47 RBI in 113 games in Double A Erie (Pennsylvania) and Double A Frisco (Texas).
He has a .275 average and .405 on base average, with 13 homers and 126 RBI in 265 games over four minor-league seasons and has thrown out 17 percent of would-be basestealers (31 of 149).
Texas drafted him in the ninth round out of Arkansas State in 2021, and he has never played above Double A. If Hicks does not remain on the Marlins’ 26-man roster for the entire 2025 season, he must be offered back to Detroit for $50,000.
He started catching full-time 1 ½ years ago and “showed a lot of tools,” Marlins president/baseball operations Peter Bendix said. “Showed a lot of defensive ability and all the things we look for in a catcher. His approach at the plate is unique for a catcher. His plate discipline is excellent. He has got a real chance to make our team. He will be in a competition to win a spot. He will have a good opportunity to win a lot of playing time.”
Hicks gives the Marlins a second offensively skilled catching prospect, joining Agustin Ramirez, who was the key player acquired by Miami in the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade with the Yankees.
Veteran Nick Fortes also remains on the Marlins’ 40-man roster.
International players and high school draft picks who signed in 2019 and college draft picks signed in 2020 who are not on their team’s 40-man roster were eligible to be selected. There’s a $100,000 fee to draft a player.
BENDIX ON BURGER
Asked why he traded his best power hitter to Texas for three minor-leaguers, Bendix said: “We think really highly of the three players [received]. Two really good shortstops. Another pitcher. A lot of players we think are going to help us for a long time.”
But why trade Burger now when he was still cheap (due to make about $800,000 next season) and coming off consecutive 34 and 29 home run seasons?
“It was a really difficult decision,” Bendix said. “We felt strong enough in the return we’re getting for him that we thought it was the right thing to do now.”
The Marlins have now traded four of their top five home run hitters from last season; only Jesus Sanchez (18 homers) remains.
How do the Marlins replace Burger’s power? “That power is hard to replace [but] there are a lot of different ways to score runs,” Bendix said.
Asked what he would tell frustrated fans, Bendix said: “I understand the frustration. The players we received are players we think can impact the organization for a long time. We remain dedicated to being as good as we can as long as we can as soon as we can.”
The Marlins have less than $40 million in payroll commitments next season. Asked when the team will begin spending money, Bendix said: “It’s hard to have a specific answer.”
For now, the Marlins have Jonah Bride at first base and Connor Norby at third base and a question mark at designated hitter. Bendix wouldn’t rule out signing a free agent.
Asked how he can make the lineup better, he said: “We have a lot of good hitters, guys we might not have seen last year that we may this year. We’re looking at external additions. We have a lot of internal talent.”
Among the three prospects acquired for Burger, only middle infielder Echedry Vargas was rated among Texas’ top 30 prospects; MLB.com rated him 17th.
But that website ranks all three players among the Marlins top 30 prospects: Vargas at No. 17, shortstop Max Acosta at 16 and pitcher Brayan Mendoza at No. 29.
Some feedback from Bendix on each:
▪ Acosta: The 22-year-old, who is on Miami’s 40-man roster, hit .288 (.353 on base) with eight homers at Double Frisco.
Bendix: “We think of him as a very good shortstop. The performance he had this past season was special. Very low strikeout rate. Hits the ball hard. Good defender. He did that as a young player in Double A. Has improved every year he has been in pro ball. He’s somebody we think can impact this team hopefully soon and hopefully for a long time.”
▪ Vargas: He hit .276 with 14 homers and 29 steals in low level A.
Bendix: “He’s a little younger, a little further away. Really good shortstop right now. Solid contact rate at age 19. Got really good tools, has tremendous upside long-term.”
▪ Mendoza: A 6-0 lefty from Venezuela, he had a 2.32 ERA for two teams in Class A and struck out 26.3 percent of batters while walking 6.4 percent.
Bendix: “He’s an intriguing arm. You can never have enough pitching. Has a deep repertoire.”
THIS AND THAT
Bendix said pitcher Jesus Luzardo is fully healthy after missing the final 3 ½ months of the season with a stress lumbar reaction. Asked about trade rumors involving Luzardo, Bendix declined to offer clarity, noting “we’re always looking for ways to get better.”
Bendix said the Marlins still view Max Meyer as “a long-term starter,” though some evaluators view him as a reliever.
This story was originally published December 11, 2024 at 5:47 PM.
