Marlins Trade Sanchez, Fortes to Astros, Rays Ahead MLB Deadline

The Miami Marlins traded catcher Nick Fortes to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for outfielder Matthew Etzel, creating opportunities for younger catchers Agustín Ramírez and Liam Hicks to take on larger roles with Miami. Ramírez and Hicks have been focusing on improving their defense, particularly blocking and throwing, as they share catching duties, with Ramírez earning praise for his game management despite some recent errors. Fortes, who had become expendable due to the emergence of Ramírez and Hicks, made his Rays debut shortly after the trade but found himself sharing playing time with Matt Thaiss. Meanwhile, the Rays also traded their starting catcher Danny Jansen to the Brewers, further reshuffling their catching staff. Jansen’s performance had declined, and Tampa Bay appeared to be optimizing their roster by acquiring Fortes and infielder Jadher Areinamo, a young hitter with a unique swing and potential versatility in the infield. These moves reflect both teams' efforts to balance immediate needs with player development heading into the trade deadline.