The Miami Marlins are open to trading right-hander Sandy Alcantara, who has been used in his career as both a starter and reliever. Teams looking for a front-line starter should consider Alcantara. Alcantara still has two years of control remaining on his contract and has a consistent track record. His best pitch is his sinker but he also has an effective changeup, slider, and four-seamer. He is also known for eating up innings and when healthy has proven to be dominant. The New York Mets have been rumored to be going after the Dominican pitcher.
MLB rumors: Marlins not ruling out Sandy Alcantara trade, Yankees interested in reunion with lefty reliever https://t.co/EJES4Pduvn
— CBS Sports MLB (@CBSSportsMLB) December 25, 2024
The Marlins Could Deal Sandy Alcantara
Alcantara’s Ace Form
2022 was Alcantara’s best season earning his second All-Star selection and winning the NL Cy Young Award. Alcantara came into the All-Star game and recorded a scoreless inning as a reliever. He also sported a 14-9 record with a 2.28 ERA with 207 strikeouts and a WAR of 8.0. Alcantara was also an All-Star in 2019 and has spent 6 seasons with the Marlins. He made his MLB Debut in 2017 with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Alcantara’s Future
Whether Alcantara will be traded remains up in the air. If the Marlins did decide to trade Alcantara, they would be trading their highest-paid player. Alcantara is owed $17 million for each of the next two seasons. According to the Miami Herald, Peter Bendix (Marlins President of Baseball Operations) talked about Alcantara’s future with the Marlins.”You said it: We never rule out anything. We listen to everything. Sandy is a really important piece for our organization. I’m really excited to see him pitch on Opening Day.” If Alcantara were to remain with the Marlins, he could return to his 2022 pitching form. According to Fan Graphs, Alcantara is projected to sport a 10-11 record with a 3.83 ERA for the 2025 season.
In October of 2023, Alcantara had to undergo Tommy John surgery to mend a UCL in his right elbow. This left him absent from the 2024 season to recover. Back in September when Alcantara was rehabbing, he got his fastball up to 99 mph working through a bullpen session. Alcantara is anticipated to be ready to pitch at the start of the 2025 season. What makes Alcantara standout among pitchers is that he has led MLB in complete games pitched since 2016. This is despite not pitching in 2024 and not making his debut until 2017. But Alcantara will need to be mindful of his elbow in 2025. Teams are generally cautious of players coming off of elbow surgery, and any team acquiring Alcantara will likely do the same.
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