Perfect trade Marlins must make during 2025 Spring Training

Alcantara has made his name in Miami. Traded to the team as a top prospect in the Marcell Ozuna deal, the 29-year-old has become one of the best pitchers in baseball when healthy. He won the Cy Young Award in 2022 following an absolutely sterling season in which he complied a WAR of 8.1. In 2023, he was still a solid pitcher but suffered from the loss of talent around him. Now, he’s returning from Tommy John surgery which caused him to miss all of 2024.

One can never assume just how effective they will be after a surgery like that. Some pitchers come back and dominate just like they used to. Some are better. Some are worse. For as many advances as the surgery has made over the years, it can still be unpredictable. So, it is possible that Alcantara never reaches the heights he did in 2022. Nevertheless, he would still be a highly coveted target because there’s nothing to suggest that he couldn’t get back to those heights.

If that is the case, then it would behoove Bendix and the front office to move him. Right now, the value might not be at its peak. If the Marlins traded their ace now, it could very well backfire on them. Especially since pitchers are pitching for quite a long time in some cases nowadays. If Alcantara hits the level of Cy Young contender ship that he has in the past, then this trade could very well backfire on them. Yet, as their top starter ages, it becomes more and more apparent that he does not fit the timeline that the Marlins have to get back to contention. In that vein, it stands to question what they would receive for him. Let’s take a look at what could happen in a potential deal.

Marlins need to continue gut-wrenching rebuild

In this scenario, it feels like the Baltimore Orioles could offer a strong package to bring Alcantara to Camden Yards. They still have a lot of position player talent in the upper levels of the minors, close to breaking through in the majors. Yet, they also have a lineup full of young, developing players that have the potential to be some of the best players in baseball at their positions. Most notable of which is catcher Adley Rutschman, who has become the best catcher in all of Major League Baseball.

For all of the talent they have with position players, their pitching could use some more help. GM Mike Elias brought in veteran starters Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano on one-year deals, but they need more than that. If Alcantara can return to the previous form he displayed, especially the one he showed in 2022, then trading a few prospects that are currently blocked for the former Cy Young Award winner would be a good play.

A package of top prospect Coby Mayo, right-hander Chayce McDermott and outfielder Dylan Beavers might get the job done. All three can contribute at the major league level right away. McDermott actually made his major league debut against the Marlins in Miami last season, so Bendix and his staff have seen him firsthand. If these three players pan out, then they could certainly be a part of the next contending core at Loan Depot Park. Trades like this one could make or break a team. For the Marlins’ leadership, hopefully it would be the former option.