Three years after winning the NL Cy Young Award, Marlins’ returning ace Sandy Alcantara will likely be one of the top prizes of the 2025 trade deadline. Miami Marlins president Peter Bendix has insisted Alcantara will be a Marlin come Opening Day, but that hasn't stopped rumors from swirling, and it's not hard to see why: Miami remains mired in a deep rebuild, and Alcantara has just two more guaranteed years on his contract in addition to a $21 million team option for 2027.
When healthy, Alcantara has been among the best pitchers in the sport. The righty threw to a stunning 2.28 ERA over an MLB-high 228.2 innings during his Cy Young campaign in 2022. In 2023, he struggled, eventually falling on the IL due to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery.
After missing the entire 2024 season, Alcantara appears ready to dominate once more. In one inning this spring, he gave up one hit and touched 99 mph on a strikeout. It sure looks like he's back to his old ways, which means he should be on every contending team's radar to acquire at some point this season. As one of the top arms in the games, Alcantara will undoubtedly attract significant attention on the trade market. However, only a brief list of teams have enough talent to score a trade and even fewer have the will to spend on a new ace.
This likely eliminates the Baltimore Orioles from the chase, as they are reluctant to part with their top talent or spend on new additions despite having plenty of both. The Chicago Cubs are in the same boat, having seemingly placed a cap on spending. So, which teams can we consider early frontrunners?
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The Mets and the Red Sox have what it takes to land Alcantara
To start, we need to look no further than the New York Mets. The Mets had joined the pursuit for Padres’ ace Dylan Cease but quickly backed off due to San Diego’s exorbitant price for their one-year rental. Now, though, the team's need for pitching has grown more dire.
New York doesn’t quite know what to expect from the majority of their rotation, especially since Sean Manea and Frankie Montas are set to start the season on the IL. While both pitchers will likely return before too long, the Mets lack a clear anchor for their rotation behind Kodai Senga.
Acquiring Alcantara would not only provide them said anchor, but also the brand-new ace they had attempted to find in Cease. The Mets have a very deep farm system, with several talented pieces ready to make the jump. Steve Cohen, while he may be reluctant to spend after signing Juan Soto to a record deal, still has plenty of room to add a new arm. But should Cohen take issue with the price both to his pocketbook and his farm system, there is another team driven to win this year that will almost definitely take the plunge.
The Boston Red Sox, who still have an extraordinary farm system even after adding Garrett Crochet, have an undeniable willingness to part with both talent and money in order to win as soon as possible. This is evinced not only by their trade for Crochet but their signing of Alex Bregman.
And after whiffing on Soto, the Red Sox still have plenty of cash to burn. This combination of cash and prospects, along with the fact that most of Boston’s young and upcoming players don’t have much room on the Major League roster, make the perfect recipe for a star-studded blockbuster trade. Furthermore, If the Red Sox can unload DH Masataka Yoshida's contract in a trade with Miami, this would work even further in Boston’s favor.
As of now, Boston has two presumably reliable starters in Crochet and Tanner Houck in addition to intriguing arms like Walker Buehler, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and the returning Lucas Giolito. Adding Alcantara would not only provide the Red Sox with a new ace but give them the rotational depth they sorely lack. Going into the season, it seems like the Red Sox may be the team most motivated to pull off such a trade.