Miami Marlins Ace Sandy Alcántara Still Top Trade Candidate Despite Struggles

Sandy Alcántara is still viewed as the most likely star to get traded ahead of this summer’s deadline, even if the Miami Marlins’ former Cy Young has an 8.42 ERA coming off Tommy John surgery.

Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at loanDepot Park. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Sandy Alcántara entered the season as one of the most discussed trade candidates across MLB.

More than a month into the 2025 campaign, Alcántara has fallen far short of his ace status, but that hasn’t quieted the buzz he has created on the market.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand polled 19 executives across the league this week, asking who they thought would be the biggest name to get dealt ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. 12 of them said Alcántara, while five answered Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr.

Alcántara is 2-4 with an 8.42 ERA, 1.613 WHIP, 6.7 strikeouts per nine innings and a -0.7 WAR through seven starts this season. That is a far cry from his Cy Young season in 2022, when he had a 2.28 ERA and 8.0 WAR, and even his 4.14 ERA and 3.9 WAR in 2023.

The 29-year-old righty missed the entire 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, though, which has been used to explain away his struggles.

“The longer he is removed from the injury, the better he will likely be,” one anonymous American League executive told Feinsand. “At the deadline, he could demand a pretty price with up to two-and-a-half years of control remaining on his contract.”

The Marlins have showed no fear when it comes to trading away key players over the past 12 months, whether it be Luis Arráez or Jesús Luzardo. Moving off of Alcántara now, even if he wouldn’t net them as loaded of a package as he would if he was pitching at his best, would still save Miami nearly $35 million over the next two seasons.

Alcántara is next slated to take the mound Sunday against the Chicago White Sox, who boast the lowest OPS of any team in MLB.

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