The Texas Rangers have two catchers on the 40-man roster. One, Kyle Higashioka, is likely to be the starter. The other, Willie MacIver, has played 32 games.
The Rangers only have one Top 30 prospect at catcher, the slow-developing Malcolm Moore, who was their first-round pick in 2024. Texas is in a thrifty mood when it comes to free-agent spending. There are veteran options, but J.T. Realmuto’s presence on the market will likely drive up the price for budget options other teams are pursuing.
That leaves a trade. When MLB teams have one good catcher, it can be hard to pry them away. A team like the Rangers needs to find a trading partner with a quality surplus that has MLB experience or is close to the Majors. Fortunately, there is one potential trading partner — the Miami Marlins.
Exploring a Texas Rangers-Miami Marlins Trade
Miami has three catchers on the 40-man roster — Agustín Ramírez, Joe Mack and Liam Hicks. Ramírez and Hicks have already played in the Majors while Mack is close. He played 99 games at Triple-A Jacksonville in 2025.
Ramírez would be the play if the Rangers are seeking power. As a rookie in 2025 he slashed .231/.287/.413 with 21 home runs and 67 RBI in 136 games. Those power numbers are better than either Higashioka or Heim last year. His on-base percentage is not what the Rangers are looking for. But, in a tandem, he might do the trick. He needs work defensive. He was at minus-14 defensive runs saved in 2025, per Fangraphs.
Hicks played 119 games last year and was also a rookie. He slashed .247/.346/.346 but didn’t have Ramírez’s power, with just six home runs and 45 RBI. Defensive, he was at zero defensive runs saved, which is far better than Ramírez.
Mack slashed .257/.338/.475 with 21 home runs and 58 RBI in 112 games, most of which was at Jacksonville. In a different organization he might already be in the Majors.
Ramírez would be hard to pry away. Many teams are willing to put up with the defensive issues for his kind of offensive output, especially if he can do it consistently. But he would give the Rangers a future answer, as Higashioka is a free agent after this season. The Rangers gave up three prospects to acquire Jake Burger from Miami last year, and two were Top 30 prospects. That’s a good template for that kind of trade.
Hicks or Mack would cost considerably less. Hicks has flexibility at first base and with a year of MLB experience Miami could ask for a couple of prospects, or one MLB player that can help them fix a position of need. The Rangers might need to give up a similar package for Mack, as he’s considered a Top 30 prospect.
If Miami hangs onto Ramírez, it has a ready backup if it deals either Hicks or Mack. If the Rangers can pry away Ramírez, then Hicks and Mack become the tandem. Miami is one of the rare teams with quality catching depth that can help Texas right away. It’s a phone call president of baseball operations Chris Young and his staff should make.
