Marlins Slammed With Harsh Reality Check on Potential Star Pitcher Trade

Many are expecting the Miami Marlins to move pitcher Sandy Alcantara before the MLB trade deadline, but it may be a bit more complicated than that for the Marlins.

Miami may have a difficult time actually pulling the trigger on an Alcantara deal for multiple reasons. First of all, he is still under team control through 2027, so the Marlins do not have to be in any rush to trade the former Cy Young award winner.

Second, Alcantara has largely labored in his first season back after Tommy John surgery, which could result in Miami deciding to hold on to the 29-year-old through the rest of the year in hopes that he rebounds to increase his trade value.

R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports feels teams may ultimately stay away from Alcantara between now and July 31, particularly considering that the Marlins' asking price may not match his 2025 production. He also notes that Alcantara's four-seam fastball has shown a sharp decline this season, which is an ominous sign for interested ballclubs.

"Alcantara's four-seamer has declined in property and deployment," Anderson wrote. "That decline has caused him to be far worse overall, but especially worse against lefties as the shifts he's made to cover for the decay have failed him. And, on top of that, a past strength is now a weakness for reasons that are tough to pin down. Is there a way to fix all of that, and can it be achieved in-season? That's what teams have to answer over the coming weeks."

When healthy, Alcantara has proven to be one of the best pitchers in baseball, but he has not been fully healthy since 2022, when he logged a 2.28 ERA to capture the NL Cy Young award. He has limped to a 7.01 ERA this season.

We'll see what the Marlins decide to do with the right-hander with the deadline looming.