Veteran catcher Nick Fortes is far from the biggest name on the Miami Marlins roster, yet he’s been at the center of an ongoing debate over the past few weeks. Should one of the organization’s longest-tenured players be moved at the upcoming MLB trade deadline so that Miami’s younger options can fully take over at the position?

Through 50 games this season, Fortes is slashing .252/.300/.360/.660 with two home runs and 10 RBI. He’s been a reliable contact hitter as a Marlin and that has continued in 2025 with a 13.9% strikeout rate. More importantly, Fortes is a well-rounded defender. He ranks in the 89th percentile among MLB catchers in blocks above average, 73rd percentile in framing and 73rd percentile in pop time. He is under club control through 2028.

However, in those 50 games, Fortes has only 122 plate appearances. He is on pace for less playing time than he’s had in any previous full season in the majors. That’s because the Marlins have carried three catchers on their roster since Fortes returned from the injured list on May 4. Agustín Ramírez has started more than twice as many games as Fortes during that span (56 to 26). Liam Hicks continues to earn opportunities with his bat as well, part of the reason why Fortes has played only one complete game from start to finish so far in July.

The top position player prospect in the Marlins farm system, Joe Mack, is a catcher, too. Mack is already a league-average hitter against Triple-A competition as a 22-year-old and his defensive skill set earned him a 2024 Minor League Gold Glove. Even if Ramírez stops catching completely to become a designated hitter and first baseman, there isn’t a clear fit for Fortes moving forward. He would be more useful to other teams.

It needs to be noted that midseason trades involving catchers aren’t too common. This is because they are responsible for learning the strengths, weaknesses and tendencies of everybody on the pitching staff, and it takes time for those relationships to develop. The transition is much easier to make during the offseason.

The Tampa Bay Rays addressed their catching weakness two full months before the deadline, acquiring Matt Thaiss from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for prospect Dru Baker. Thaiss has had a similar career to Fortes—a little bit older, but more consistent as a hitter from year to year. Prior to the trade, he was slashing .212/.382/.294/.676 with one home run, eight RBI and a 104 wRC+. Through 18 games with the Rays, Thaiss has posted a 81 wRC+, but aside from his four blocks above average, he’s been underwhelming defensively.

In smaller, more recent transactions, the Cincinnati Reds traded Austin Wynns to the Athletics for cash considerations and the Baltimore Orioles acquired former Marlins backstop Alex Jackson from the New York Yankees for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Fortes clearly has more value than either of them.

Among contending teams, the San Francisco Giants and the San Diego Padres could definitely use Fortes’ services.

The Giants currently find themselves dead last in OPS and second to last in wRC+ at the catching position. As good as Patrick Bailey is defensively, he has been a clear liability in the lineup, slashing .193/.258/.292/.551 with two home runs, 26 RBI and a 56 wRC+. Bailey’s offensive-minded backup was supposed to be Tom Murphy, but he’s been sidelined all season due to a back injury.

On top of forming the best defensive catching tandem in baseball, Fortes would actually help the Giants with his bat.

The Padres split their catching duties between Martín Maldonado and Elias Díaz, who have both been awful statistically. That being said, their influence on one of the league’s best pitching staffs cannot be ignored.