DENVER — The Tampa Bay Rays acquired catcher Liam Hicks from the Miami Marlins for three prospects and landed outfielder Jack Suwinski from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a separate deal before the trade deadline, addressing two roster needs in a single afternoon.

Hicks, a 27-year-old left-handed hitter under club control through the 2030 season, slashed .282/.363/.432 with 14 homers and 62 RBIs in 101 games for Miami this year. Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander said Hicks “really fits within kind of the DNA of this club” and called his combination of contact, patience and power “the perfect piece to help kind of transition from the brand of baseball with the top three [hitters] and the rest.”

The cost was significant: Tampa Bay sent three of its Top 30 prospects to Miami, including its top two picks from the 2023 Draft — infielder Brayden Taylor (No. 16 prospect), right-hander Jacob Kisting (No. 26) and shortstop Adrian Santana (No. 27). Hicks won’t be eligible for salary arbitration until 2028, giving the Rays long-term cost certainty behind the plate.

In the buzzer-beating second deal, the Rays sent catcher Hunter Feduccia and Minor League right-hander Jacob Kmatz (No. 26 prospect) to the Dodgers for Suwinski and international bonus pool space. Suwinski, who spent parts of four years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, has been in Triple-A all season. Neander said the Rays are encouraged by adjustments Suwinski has made to his swing and wanted additional outfield depth for the stretch run.

“He’s going to catch, and he’ll catch a lot. He’ll work in with [Nick Fortes] quite a bit,” manager Kevin Cash said of Hicks. “[The Marlins] probably have some very similar messaging that we do on the pitching side, so hopefully that’s an easy transition for him, getting up to speed and learning our pitchers real quick.”

Cash added that Hicks’ bat was the primary draw. “You look at his numbers. He’s put together a really impressive season as a very young player, a guy that we’ve kind of had our eyes on for quite some time,” Cash said. “It’s great bat-to-ball skill. He’s able to work really good at-bats.”

The Rays had targeted Hicks since before the 2024 Rule 5 Draft, when Miami selected him first. “We didn’t trade up,” Neander said, grinning. “It’s a player we’ve liked for a while.” Hicks was drafted by the Texas Rangers out of Arkansas State in 2021, traded to the Detroit Tigers ahead of the 2024 deadline, then selected by the Marlins. He batted .247/.346/.346 with six homers in 119 games as a rookie in 2025 before breaking out this season.

Feduccia, who produced a .234/.306/.340 slash line this season compared to Fortes’ .278 average and .705 OPS, said goodbye to teammates at Coors Field. “I’m super appreciative of the opportunity the Rays gave me. I’ve worked really hard to get to this point. Part of the business,” Feduccia said. “But I’m super fortunate to meet all these guys. It felt like a family to me. … It’s been an awesome ride.”

With Feduccia traded and Hicks not yet active, the Rays called up catcher Kenny Piper from Double-A Montgomery for his Major League debut against the Colorado Rockies, a game Tampa Bay won 13-9. Hicks is expected to join the club at Coors Field on Tuesday.