Padres Named 'Best Fit' for $50 Million Cy Young Winner in Potential Blockbuster Trade

The San Diego Padres have a shorthanded pitching staff that has shown its resilience in recent weeks, but that quality likely won't be enough to successfully go far in the postseason.

It remains to be seen whether president of baseball operations A.J. Preller will trade for a starter this summer, but the Padres certainly could use a few more additions to perfect their roster for October.

The Friars have been named a best fit for Miami Marlins right-handed pitcher Sandy Alcantara, who has a 60 percent chance of being traded, according to ESPN.

The Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Baltimore Orioles have also been listed as potential landing spots for the Marlins ace.

"Alcantara was arguably the best pitcher in baseball in 2022, winning the NL Cy Young unanimously. He was more solid than spectacular in 2023 and missed 2024 with Tommy John surgery," the ESPN staff writes. "He has been tinkering this season to try to get his pitch mix and locations right in hopes of regaining his former glory. It is starting to look as though he is turning the corner to become a midrotation starter (or better?) once again as he has posted a 2.74 ERA in four June outings. The Marlins could hold on to him until the winter, when teams like Baltimore would be more inclined to acquire him and the final two years of his contract."

The absence of Yu Darvish and Michael King in the starting rotation has certainly taken its toll on a depleted Padres pitching staff. Neither right-hander has a firm timeline to return, and adding another starter should be paramount for the Friars.

However, it's unclear whether the Padres have the trade capital to land a coveted starter like Alcantara without trading one of their two top prospects in Leo De Vries and Ethan Salas. Preller will likely have to work his trade deadline magic in order to strike such a deal.

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