Padres Predicted To Join Bidding War For Ex-Cardinals Struggling Ace

The San Diego Padres have been linked to an ace formerly of the St. Louis Cardinals, but will he ultimately be moved?

San Diego is just one of four legit contenders in Major League Baseball’s toughest division, the National League West.

The Padres have to be thinking that a splash trade would help them gain some separation in the division, which is why they might pursue Miami Marlins’ Cy Young winner Sandy Alcántara.

Alcántara has struggled mightily so far in 2025 (2-4, 8.42 ERA), but according to Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly, that shouldn’t stop the Padres and others from going after Alcántara, provided he improves over the next couple of months.

“Alcántara obviously needs to get back on track to be the top name available this summer, especially since he's under contract through 2026 with an affordable $21 million option for 2027,” Kelly wrote.

“But while the Marlins don't have to trade Alcántara, if he's pitching well, the guess here is that president of baseball operations Peter Bendix will move the former NL Cy Young Award winner for a slew of prospects.”

“While the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and New York Mets are among the other contenders who could stand to add a front-line pitcher, the (Chicago) Cubs are the most motivated to be aggressive.”

San Diego knows it has something special with its 2025 club, giving them confidence that entering a bidding war for Alcántara with both the Cubs and both New York powerhouses would be worth it.