Ex-Cardinals Ace Continues Disastrous Start Amid Trade Rumors

Sandy Alcántara began his big league career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017 before landing with the Miami Marlins for the last eight seasons. In this time, Alcántara has seen his ups and downs at the big league level.

At his highest, he won the 2022 National League Cy Young award in dominant fashion. At his lowest, he underwent Tommy John surgery late in the 2023 season.

After missing all of 2024, Alcántara has returned to the big leagues with Miami this season and his name has been linked in a lot of trade buzz. Any team looking to add a starting pitcher this season could start by looking at the Marlins ace.

But his road back from elbow surgery hasn't been smooth. In fact, Alcántara has been downright horrible this season.

In 11 starts, he holds a 2-7 record, which isn't indicative of success, especially on a team like the Marlins. Beyond that, he holds a horrendous 8.47 ERA while being worth -1.4 WAR on the year. His underlying numbers aren't great either. His xBA, xERA, and most concerningly his walk percentage are all among the worst in the league this season.

Still, there are bound to be some teams interested in the righty at the trade deadline. The Chicago Cubs and Baltimore Orioles are two of the teams mentioned the most. Alcántara has a few years left on a team friendly contract, so it wouldn't be shocking to see a team take a chance on him if the Marlins accept a deal for a lot less than many expect.