One prospect each MLB team should call up right now
![MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 27: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after hitting a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during the MLB preseason game at Olympic Stadium on March 27, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) MONTREAL, QC - MARCH 27: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after hitting a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during the MLB preseason game at Olympic Stadium on March 27, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 1-0. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/180fa0d6f2825fd50f2dc72b63d3fdf968da66411d08932c9d8a57a38b21e819.jpg)
Miami Marlins: Sandy Alcantara
Derek Jeter rightly took a whole heaping of criticism over the perceived weakness of the returns for Giancarlo Stanton, Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich. It’s hard to look at the moves as anything more than an outright salary dump when other general managers and front offices received much better returns on their trade chips. The Marlins are saving themselves hundreds of millions of dollars, but that should not have been the focus.
It is debatable whether or not the Marlins should even be calling up any prospects to make their MLB debuts when their obvious goal is to keep costs down and collect as much prospect depth as possible. Why start service clocks this year if you don’t have to?
If the Marlins are going to call up some of their more highly-rated prospects, Sandy Alcantara (acquired for Ozuna) is most ready for the big leagues. Along with Lewis Brinson, the key piece in the Yelich trade, Alcantara is on the edge of MLB’s top-100 prospects and is already in Triple-A at the age of 22.
Alcantara made his MLB debut for the St. Louis Cardinals at the end of last year and has an overpowering fastball that can reach 100 mph. The rest of his arsenal is a work in progress, but he does have four pitches. The worst case for the Marlins and the big right-hander is that he is forced to take his talents to the bullpen and close. He does have what it takes to be a dominant starter if it all comes together.