The San Francisco Giants made a few notable additions this winter: Harrison Bader in center field, Luis Arráez at second base, Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser as mid-rotation arms. However, Buster Posey and the front office could not manifest the splashy addition fans were hoping for. It's hard not to feel like the Giants are a distant second-best to Los Angeles in the NL West, if even that.
That won't change with any trade, to be frank, but the Giants can at least move the needle in the right direction. The rotation in particular could use another upgrade behind Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. The Giants missed out on Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen and other viable candidates. One of the more realistic, potentially impactful trade targets at this point is Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara.
How a Giants-Marlins trade could shape up
Alcántara has all the bonafides of a great pitcher. He's a two-time All-Star and the 2022 NL Cy Young winner. But how can teams ignore the last few years? His production fell off in 2023, he went under the knife and missed all of 2024 and then he looked like a shell of himself for most of 2025. There is still time for the 30-year-old to turn back the clock, but we can't expect much certainty at this stage. Especially on a one-year, hit-or-miss basis.
If Miami can coax two top-20 prospects out of the San Francisco system — both with a chance to contribute sooner than later — that is an unequivocal win.
Should the Marlins finally trade Sandy Alcántara?
Yes.
Look, the Marlins' commitment to seeing the Sandy Alcántara project through is commendable. A lot of small-market teams in Miami's shoes would have dealt Alcántara a long time ago. And yet, the time has come to bite the bullet and move on. Not necessarily because of anything Alcántara has or has not done, but because this is a business, and sometimes the business necessitates change.
Miami has already moved on from Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers this winter — two starters on cheaper deals with longer windows of club control. Alcántara is essentially on an expiring contract worth $11.2 million, with a $21 million club option for 2027. It's hard to imagine the Marlins of all teams exercising that option.
Alcántara missed all of 2024 as he recovered from elbow surgery. He subsequently struggled in 2025, finishing the campaign with a 5.36 ERA and 1.27 WHIP across 31 starts. His durability was a silver lining (174.2 innings pitched), and Alcántara did settle in down the stretch. All signs point to better results in 2026.
Miami, however, tends to build from within. The Marlins won't contend next season, so adding quality pieces to the pipeline — establishing a clearer path to contention three, four, five years down the road — is the obvious move.
It helps when Robby Snelling, Miami's No. 4 prospect, is doing stuff like this in Spring Training.
Robby Snelling opened Spring Training for the @Marlins and set the tone by sitting down All-Stars Marcus Semien, Juan Soto and Bo Bichette for a perfect opening frame.
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) February 21, 2026
There's no denying MLB's No. 39 prospect's comfort and confidence at camp: https://t.co/7xzicfZg6H pic.twitter.com/nOtOb5vuao
Between 22-year-old Snelling and 21-year-old Thomas White, Miami's No. 1 prospect, the future of this Marlins pitching staff is already here. Miami ought to bite the bullet.
Why the Giants and Marlins get out of this trade
The Giants need the pitching depth — and the talent, frankly. San Francisco has five quality starters between Webb, Ray, Mahle, Houser and Landon Roupp, but their pipeline is sparse and their veterans aren't exactly lauded for their durability (Webb being the exception, of course). Alcántara protects against injury. He also infuses more upside than any other Giants addition this winter.
Who knows what we can earnestly expect from Alcántara next season? But he's only three years removed from the Cy Young Award. In August and September of 2025, Alcántara posted a 3.70 ERA and 3.88 FIP across nine starts. His velocity held strong after surgery. His peak is a distant memory at this point, but there's reason to believe the righty has quality baseball left in him.
As for Miami, it's a chance to promote Snelling and/or White from the Minors, both of whom should eclipse Alcántara (in his current form) sooner than later. It's also a worthwhile flier on San Francisco's 16th- and 17th-ranked prospects, per MLB Pipeline.
Jesus Rodriguez is a catcher by trade, but he's probably a corner infielder in MLB. The Marlins need help at first base. Rodriguez needs to refine his plate approach, but the hit tool is promising. He exhibits power to all fields and he stole 21 bases across three levels of Minor League competition last season. There's some sneaky speed there.
Trent Harris is overdue for his MLB debut at 27. There is natural skepticism around older prospects without big-league experience, but Harris has three plus pitches at his command — fastball, slider and curve — and he dominated lower levels of competition, earning a Futures Game appearance in 2025. His Triple-A numbers aren't ideal, and dreams of starting in MLB are probably dead, but Harris has the stuff to emerge as a hidden gem in the Marlins bullpen. Miami could use a bit more oomph from its reliever group.
This trade carries very little downside risk for the Giants, who can cut ties after a year if Alcántara crumbles. For Miami, it's a chance to get something before Alcántara leaves as a free agent or potentially dampens his value even further ahead of the trade deadline.