The Marlins tinkered with their bullpen just before Monday’s trade deadline, sending Lake Bachar to Pittsburgh for three prospects and acquiring veteran right-hander Victor Vodnik from Colorado in exchange for Connor Norby and pitcher Aiden May, the team’s second-round pick in the 2024 draft.
Vodnik, a 28-year-old right hander, was very good for Colorado in 2025, when he had a 3.02 ERA and 10 saves, but hasn’t been quite as effective this season, posting a 5.25 ERA with four saves and permitting 61 base-runners, with 26 strikeouts, in 36 innings.
In 155 major league appearances (all out of the bullpen, and all for Colorado), Vodnik is 13-10 with a 4.31 ERA and 23 saves.
Vodnik averages 98.6 mph on his fastball and has pitched well since mid June. His 1.33 home ERA last season was lowest ever by a Rockies pitcher at Coors Field (minimum 25 innings).
Vodnik, who’s under team control through 2030, was selected by the Braves in the 14th round of the 2018 draft out of Rialto High in California.
He essentially replaces Bachar, who had a 3.84 ERA and two saves for the Marlins this season, but also endured a nightmarish outing – and a blown save – in a loss against the Padres recently. Bachar went 9-5 with a 3.88 ERA and five saves in 101 games (including five starts) for the Marlins over three seasons.
In return for Bachar, the Marlins acquired three prospects: right-handed pitcher Brandan Bidois, infielder Hyun Seung Lee and outfielder Brian Sanchez. MLB. com rates none of them among the Pirates’ top 30 prospects.
Bidois, who signed with the Pirates out of the Australian Baseball League in 2019, made his major-league debut for Pittsburgh this season and had a 6.32 ERA in 15 appearances, allowing 31 base-runners, but striking out 20 in 15 2/3 innings. He was demoted to Triple A after allowing three runs in 2/3 of an inning of a June 30 loss to the Phillies.
Bidois is 15-7 with a 2.89 ERA and 17 saves in 111 minor-league appearances, including three starts in 2021.
He did his best work last season, pitching 18 innings in a row without allowing a hit, over 11 appearances, and finishing with an 8-0 record and 0.74 ERA for four different Pirates affiliates, while earning recognition as the team’s Minor League Reliever of the Year.
Yeung, a left-handed hitting second baseman and shortstop, is just 18 after signing with the Pirates last season as an international free agent out of South Korea. He hit .309 with six homers and 40 RBI in 35 games for the Pirates’ rookie league team this season before being promoted to Class A Bradenton, where he’s off to an 8 for 51 start (.157).
Sanchez, 22, was signed by the Yankees as an international free agent in 2021 and was later dealt to the Pirates in July 2025. He’s hitting .254 (.341 on base) with nine homers and 40 RBI in 83 games for the Pirates’ High A affiliate in Greensboro.
As part of the Vodnik trade, the Marlins moved on from Norby, who was acquired with Kyle Stowers in the July 2024 trade that sent Trevor Rogers to the Orioles. Norby was very good initially, hitting seven homers and driving in 17 runs in 36 games for Miami that season.
But he was limited to 88 games last season because of a hand injury and hit .251 with eight homers and 34 RBI.
He hit just .205 (.313 on base) with four homers and 16 RBI in 65 games (including 43 starts at first base and 13 starts at third base) for the Marlins this season before being demoted to Triple A Jacksonville on June 26. He was hitting .265 with no home runs in 96 plate appearances for the Jumbo Shrimp.
Also heading to Colorado is May, who was drafted 70th overall out of Oregon State in 2024. He was 4-3 with a 3.80 ERA at High A Beloit this season and has a 3.47 ERA in 24 minor league appearances.
Earlier Monday, the Marlins traded Liam Hicks, who led the team in RBI, to Tampa Bay for three prospects who are having good seasons, including two former first-round draft picks. They also dealt pitcher Braxton Garrett to the Cubs for two prospects.
The Marlins ended up trading Hicks, Garrett, Bachar, May and Norby for eight prospects (five of whom were rated top 30 prospects in the Rays’ and Cubs’ organizations) and Vodnik, who has 23 career saves and 14 blown saves compared with five saves and two blown saves for Bachar.
The Marlins decided to keep outfielders Kyle Stowers (who attracted interest) and Griffin Conine after trading Hicks. Miami intended to trade only one of those three left-handed bats and preferred to deal Hicks among those three.
The Marlins listened but ultimately rejected trade overtures for shortstop Otto Lopez, second baseman Xavier Edwards and outfielder Heriberto Hernandez.
The Marlins never considered trades for pitchers Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez and injured Max Meyer. Catcher Joe Mack was also considered off limits in trade talks.
The Marlins were open to trading closer Peter Fairbanks, but the asking price increased because Fairbanks has pitched well recently and the team entered play Tuesday in the thick of the National League wild card race at 58-55.
This story was originally published August 3, 2026 at 6:56 PM.
Miami Herald
Barry Jackson has written for the Miami Herald since 1986 and has written the Florida Sports Buzz column since 2002.