Marlins acquire Victor Vodnik in exchange for Connor Norby, Aiden May

[Kevin Barral]

The stunner of the Major League Baseball trade deadline for the Miami Marlins took place with less than five minutes to spare. The Marlins traded away Connor Norby and prospect Aiden May to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for right-handed reliever Victor Vodnik.

Vodnik, a 26 year old reliever, has posted a 5.25 ERA, 4.40 FIP, 6.50 K/9 and 4.75 BB/9 in 33 appearances this season. He throws a four-seam fastball, slider, changeup, cutter and sinker. Vodnik is set to enter his first year of arbitration in 2027 and is under club control until 2030.

Based on run value, Vodnik's slider is his best pitch (+2 RV), generating a 32.4% whiff rate and 15.2% PutAway rate. Opposing hitters have a .192 batting average off that pitch. Outside of the slider, the rest of his pitches are seen as below average.

As is for many pitchers, a big reason for his struggles has been pitching in Colorado itself. His home ERA is 6.61 and on the road, it is 4.12 road ERA. It also was not too long ago that Vodnik was succeeding in Colorado, posting a 3.02 ERA and 3.77 FIP in 50 2/3 innings last season.

Vodnik's fastball velocity stands out, averaging 98.6 mph. The downside is that it is getting hit extremely hard and failing to get hitters out with it. Opposing hitters have a .355 batting average and 49.2% hard hit rate off that pitch. The Marlins are an organization who does not prioritize on throwing fastballs as their most used pitch, so potentially expect to see the usage rate of his fastball drop and potentially even use the sinker more to play off his other pitches.

Going to the Rockies is Norby. Acquired as the centerpiece of the Trevor Rogers trade in 2024, it seemed early on that the trade was a win for the Marlins, as Norby slashed .247/.315/.445/.760 with seven home runs, 17 RBI and posting a 109 wRC+ in 36 games with the Fish.

In 2025, the team hoped to make Norby the full-time third baseman, but a late injury in the spring kept him out to begin the 2025 season. He would land on the injured list three times that season. He hit .251/.300/.389/.689 with eight home runs, 34 RBI and a 90 wRC+.

Over the offseason leading into this season, the Marlins announced that Norby would start to play some first base and potentially even the outfield, paving way for Graham Pauley to play third base more consistently. To Norby's credit, he was actually a decent first baseman, posting plus-four outs above average at the position. He also remained healthy during the season and even got off to a strong start to begin the season, posting a .764 OPS in his first 20 games of the season. Before he was sent down to Triple-A Jacksonville, he had an 81 wRC+.

Since being sent down to Triple-A, Norby was slashing .265/.365/.482/.847 with four home runs, 15 RBI and a 125 wRC+. Norby, now going to Colorado, will likely go to the major league team playing multiple positions, though first base is currently occupied by National League Rookie of the Year contender T.J. Rumfield.

Along with Norby, the Marlins moved on from Oregon State and Competitive Balance Round B pick Aiden May. In 2026, he was in High-A Beloit, where in 14 starts, he had a 3.80 ERA, 4.33 FIP, 7.60 K/9 and 3.15 BB/9. He was Fish On First's No. 29 ranked prospect in the system.

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[Shawn]

I guess there’s always 2028 to get back to the playoffs. This was our prize move to fix the bullpen issues. Traded away the club leader in RBIS for prospects years away, and one of our more solid bullpen arms in Bacar. Never addressed the bullpen or third base. I’m sure before the lockout they’ll trade stowers and Otto for some more prospects years away.