I'm already pre-mad about a trade that may or may not happen. Sandy Alcantara, as we know, has not looked like his top-shelf ace self so far in 2025 as he works his way back from a serious injury. But if the Houston Astros pull off a trade for the 2022 Cy Young winner, he'll definitely immediately become the best pitcher in baseball, right? That's just sort of what the Astros do — they find ways to win. Always. And maybe forever. They just win and win and win. And it drives everyone crazy (no, I'm not projecting.)
That trade isn't a crazy idea, either; recently, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan listed the Astros as one of the "best fits" for Alcantara if the Marlins do decide to move the 29 year-old. It makes sense for the Astros, who have been wrecked by injuries this year, namely to starters Cristian Javier and recently Lance McCullers Jr. So, the Astros have a need for starting pitching, and with how injured their lineup is, why not add a guy who can potentially be a front-line starter in the future?
Whether the Astros have anything the (suddenly hot) Marlins would be interested in is unclear, as is what Alcantara's trade value actually is right now. But if the Astros can find the sweet spot of getting the Marlins to bite while not overpaying for a player who, despite shutting down the Padres today, still has an ERA of 6.66 — they could find a gem for now and the future.
The Astros trading for Sandy Alcantara would be a nightmare for the rest of the league
Nothing bad ever happens to the Houston Astros, so of course, if they add Alcantara he'd immediately revert back to the Cy Young-caliber pitcher we all know he can be, then the Astros would sign him to an extension and their reign of terror would continue for the next decade, and the rest of the AL would wonder how on Earth they keep doing it.
Okay, sorry, I can't stop picturing a scary future where the Astros have a rotation of healthy Alcantara, Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier. That's a deadly first four that can compete with any rotation in the big leagues.
Astros keep winning despite racking up the injuries
Every time a member of the Astros goes down with injury, you think they're finally finished. Most recently, it was Isaac Paredes injuring his hamstring. But then someone else steps up and they just keep on pushing. Brice Matthews was that guy this weekend as the Astros' top prospect mashed three home runs in a series against the Diamondbacks, including a go-ahead blast on Tuesday night. They just find a way.
So it wouldn't be much of a surprise if they "found a way" to morph Sandy Alcantara back into the elite arm that we've all seen him be before injuries. Please, Miami... anyone but them. Just keep him if the value isn't there! Houston doesn't have your best interest at heart!