Miami has struggled to find a viable option behind the plate since trading away J.T. Realmuto ahead of the 2019 season. After Jorge Alfaro, who returned in the Realmuto deal, failed to provide consistent results, the Marlins have shuffled through a mix of veterans and fringe MLBers over the past few seasons. Miami backstops finished 29th in OPS at the position in both 2023 and 2024.
Agustin Ramirez seems like the answer, at least on offense. Acquired in the Jazz Chisholm Jr. trade, the top prospect popped 21 homers and stole 16 bases in his first taste of MLB action. Ramirez paced the team in doubles and total bases. He was a fixture in the heart of the lineup since getting promoted in late April.
The problem with Ramirez as Miami’s solution at catcher was the catching part. He led the league with 19 passed balls, more than twice as many as the next-closest player (Shea Langeliers at nine). Ramirez also led all catchers with 10 errors, despite only making 71 starts at the position. The throwing aspect of the job didn’t go much better. Ramirez allowed 83 steals and threw out just 8 base runners, good for a paltry 8.8% caught stealing rate. He ranked dead last in Statcast’s CS Above Average metric, which compares the number of extra caught stealings to the expectation of an average catcher.
Ramirez made 61 starts at DH in his rookie season. While that may be his ultimate home, president of baseball operations Peter Bendix hasn’t given up on Ramirez in the field. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Bendix said Ramirez still has “the ability to be a major league catcher and also needs to improve a lot to be able to consistently achieve that level” (link via Kevin Barral of Fish on First). It isn’t the strongest endorsement, but it’s enough to keep the door ajar on Ramirez’s future at the position.
Liam Hicks functioned as Miami’s backup catcher for the majority of the 2025 season. He started 49 games behind the plate, while also making 23 starts at first base and 20 at DH. Hicks joined the team as a Rule 5 selection from Detroit. He posted a solid 98 wRC+ across 390 plate appearances, though the power was lacking. Hicks hit just a half dozen home runs and finished with a .099 ISO. He doesn’t have the type of thump typically associated with 1B/DH types, so sticking at catcher might be his only avenue to consistent playing time.
The main issue with Hicks as a long-term option is the same one that plagues Ramirez. Hicks allowed 51 stolen bases last season, while catching just six would-be thieves. He had the fifth-worst mark in Statcast’s CS Above Average metric.
The real answer at catcher might be waiting in the wings at Triple-A. Joe Mack is the organization’s fourth-ranked prospect according to MLB.com. FanGraphs ranked Mack third among Miami prospects in their midseason update. Mack was a first-round pick in 2021. He’s put up strong offensive numbers at each minor league stop, including a 129 wRC+ in 112 games at Double-A in 2024. Mack torched Double-A pitching once again to begin 2025 and was quickly bumped to Triple-A. He hit 18 home runs with a solid .250/.320/.459 slash line in 412 plate appearances with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. The 22-year-old has an elite arm, which will provide some much-needed help in slowing down the run game. Mack has a shot to break camp with the team in 2026 after hitting .298/.382/.766 with six homers in 14 games in September.
Whether or not Mack is with the big-league club next season, the team could use a glove-first veteran option. Victor Caratini, Austin Hedges, and James McCann would be viable options that shouldn’t be overly expensive. Old friend Jacob Stallings could also be a candidate to soak up innings behind the plate for a low investment. Ironically, Nick Fortes would’ve fit the bill as a veteran caddy to Mack. Fortes led the Marlins in starts behind the plate in 2023 and 2024, but was shipped out at the trade deadline this past season.
Perhaps they could trade for the Mariners rookie Harry Ford behind the plate.
Give us Perez lol
Ford isn’t available unless the Marlins embarrass themselves by overpaying. And I mean overpaying. He’s going to allow Cal to DH more and be better than the typical backup with the stick. Controllable for years if someone wants him make a stupid offer the Mariners can’t say no to. They certainly don’t need to move him
MLB has become a league where you need 2 viable catchers.
Cal is our catcher, not our DH, if he had bad defense then he would be our DH
Cal hit 20% of his HR as a DH this year. No one is saying he’s a DH but he plays more because he can
Geez, they gave up over a hundred stolen bases?? I wonder what the record is, that has to be close.
The St. Louis Browns allowed the most stolen bases in a single season, with their opponents stealing a combined total of 581 bases against them in 1887. This year’s Rays allowed 194, btw…
Mack should catch 130 and Ramirez once a week. DH, get some looks at first the rest.
Like to see a bounce back year by Deyvison De Los Santos in the minors and a mid season callup to play 1b.
Marsee Mack Ramirez Stowers, X and maybe Norby Lopez is a good young core. If they spent big $ in FA on a RF, look out.
I think 1B is the solution to the team more than RF but it’s close. I think De Le Santos took a serious step back this season which is scary. 1B has been a serious hole for them and they have zero minor leaguers who fit that bill
Ramirez should move to first base or left field. Catching is not for him…
When I watched Ramirez behind the plate, he reminded me SO much of former Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario. Rosario was pretty good at the plate, but the Rockies actually had to alter the backstop because he had so many passed balls. He probably could have stayed in the big league longer if the NL DH had started earlier, but I’m not sure if that is a good thing
19 passed balls in less than 800 innings is pretty insane.
Joe Mack should be the catcher. He got a full AAA season in. He’s there defensively so I don’t see much downside in getting him up early. White And Snelling should be in the rotation at some point to go along with Perez. The Marlins have a lot of athletes around the diamond. They’ll be fun to watch.
There is no conundrum, just stubbornness. Ramirez is not an MLB catcher (1B maybe, DH for sure), Hicks is a back up catcher, and Joe Mack has all the looks for a starting backstop.
We Marlins fans already know the FO won’t bring anyone on a guaranteed deal, they will probably bring back Navarreto and some other veteran backstop as ST invitee, one of them cracking the opening day roster “to mentor Ramirez”.
In reality, they will keep Mack in AAA to begin the season and gain an extra year of player control.
Maybe they should see what Charles Johnson or Mark Redmond are up to
Appreciate the comments here. People who know their team!
How much is the pitchers inability to hold runners?
Both have weaker arms with low pop times. They aren’t defensive first catchers.
Dingler took the starting C job in Detroit this year, leaving Jake Rogers on the bench as back up. While Rogers is a superior defensive catcher, his bat has never been his strong suit. He never got in a groove this year with irregular playing time. As he has one year left before FA, I could see the team consider moving him to a starting role with another team to help him out. He would be a good mentor to the young pitchers and catchers on Miami.
I am confident that Ramirez will work very hard this winter to improve his defence. He really wants to make it work. I think his only decent defensive stat is Framing, although there were several embarrassing moments when he tried to frame strikes before he’d actually caught the ball.
Come Spring he will be better. Good enough? We’ll have to wait and see
Do they have pitching to trade? St. Louis has like 9 catchers
James McCann is a good defensive catcher and leader. He would work well with the Marlins young staff.
Korey Lee of the White Sox could be a cheap trade candidate. With Teel looking as the everyday catcher and Quero as the back up or DH there isn’t going to be much room for Lee.
They’ll ask for an OF prospect too.
I’m really hoping the White Sox can get something of value in return for Korey Lee. There are so many catching needy teams.
They’ll definitely ask for an OF prospect too.
It just seems none of the MLB teams make an honest and consistent effort to develop catchers within each’s farm system. All the curiosity and interest surrounding catchers occurs mostly around the trade deadline, and, it’s mostly already established catchers. To ME, the catcher is THE most important position on the diamond, even more important than the starting pitcher, as he has to navigate the entire pitching roster. To prove my point, notice the number of former catchers who’ve become MLB skippers, with Yogi Berra and Mike Soscia as prototypes
The Royals have been able to develop some good catching depth throughout the farm system.
Maybe have an extreme defensive shift of the second baseman where they have him play behind the ump to catch the passed balls?
Catching a conundrum can be dangerous….
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