Sandy Alcantara makes free-agent pitch for former Cardinals flamethrower

Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara has expressed his hopes for free agent Alex Reyes to join the team, certainly hyping him up.

There’s no direction as to where former St. Louis Cardinals reliever Alex Reyes may end up in his free agency, but Sandy Alcantara has expressed his hopes to see him join the Miami Marlins.

Alcantara is by far the best starter in Miami. He won the NL Cy Young this season, so his word is credible and should certainly be taken into consideration as the Marlins have a lot of room to improve. They finished fourth in the NL East, an extremely competitive division, following the 2022 regular season.

They’ve only appeared in the playoffs once since their last World Series win in 2003, and if they want to stand a chance against their accomplished division competitors, the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies, they need to make some good upgrades this offseason.

Their rotation isn’t too bad, though it could certainly use some work. Their bullpen, however, is definitely an area that needs work and should be prioritized. Reyes would be a great fit and would help solve some of the issues there.

Alex Reyes would help to fix the Miami Marlins bullpen issues

Reyes unfortunately had to sit out the entire 2022 season after undergoing shoulder surgery and also had to sit out in 2017 from Tommy John surgery, but when he’s healthy, he has an incredible arm.

As a minor leaguer, he was widely considered one of the best prospects and immediately had an impactful start to his MLB career in 2016. In his first season, he produced an ERA of 1.57, batting average against of .201 and WHIP of 1.22.

He struggled a bit following his TJ surgery, not playing much in 2018 and 2019. He got more playing time in 2020, but because it was as shortened season due to COVID-19, he didn’t get as much as he typically would during a full season.

In 2021, he returned for a full season and proved himself yet again, producing an ERA of 3.24, BAA of .176 and WHIP of 1.35.

It’s understandable that the Cardinals don’t want to keep him around considering he hasn’t been able to play as much as one would hope, especially in a time where the team has to fill the losses of Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright. They’re likely undergoing roster construction, and they have some big spots to fill as those core veterans leave.

However, Reyes certainly still has potential and has caught the eyes of the best pitcher in Miami. Alcantara’s input should be considered as the Marlins continue to work toward necessary growth.