The San Diego Padres have entertained the idea of trading Dylan Cease, as he continues to underperform in the final year of his contract. But getting rid of Cease in the middle of a Wild Card chase feels counteproductive, and so San Diego has reportedly considered swapping one hard-throwing righty for another who comes with extra years of team control: Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara. While it doesn’t feel like that move makes much sense now, it actually could pay off in the long run.
Alcantara, a former NL Cy Young winner, has since faced a lot of adversity following Tommy John surgery back in 2023. This season, his first back after recovery, hasn’t been anything like his Cy Young-winning campaign, but the Padres, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic, are among the teams who have reached out to gauge his market ahead of the trade deadline. And while there's plenty of risk involved, this could be a way for AJ Preller to have his cake and eat it, too.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
San Diego Padres swapping pitchers with Miami Marlins comes with massive risk
The Padres swapping Cease for Alcantara could pay off in the long run, but as of now, it's a big risk. The Marlins would probably want a haul of prospects in the return, meaning the Padres could end up exhausting their farm system for a hope.
Trading Cease in a separate deal would help them recoup some of the capital they could send to Miami for Alcantara, all while acquiring a pitcher who is under contract through at least 2026 with a team option for 2027. But is it worth it? Should the Padres be going to these lengths just to go after Alcantara? There are better options out there.
The other idea is that the Padres could ask the Marlins to take on some of Alcantara’s contract as part of the deal and help balance things out as well. Either way, going after Alcantara is probably more risky than worth it.
Should the San Diego Padres go all in for Sandy Alcantara with bigger priorities?
I get it, Cease hasn’t been great and is on an expiring contract, but the Padres have a massive need at catcher and left field. While they may not be able to land an elite player at either spot, they could find one that might be less of a risk. Steven Kwan is a name that’s been floated around as a possible trade target.
The Padres have an interesting approach ahead of them for the next week. They have to get aggressive but smart as well, trying to compete in the present without sacrificing the future. They can’t get too risky going after Alcantara, especially with bigger issues to handle, but they can’t neglect they need help with their pitching staff either.