Why This Marlins Ace Perfect for Athletics Rotation
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The A's have a clear need for starting pitching this summer, and there will be plenty of perfect fits for the team as they gear up to buy and hopefully win the division.
Even if they fall short of the division, there's a good chance they can at very least make a good push for the Wild Card race.
Miami Marlins' starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara posted his first game of the season with more than 15 whiffs in a game (18 whiffs, 17.6% swinging-strike rate) against the Phillies on Wednesday. The last time Alcantara had more than 15 whiffs came in September 2025.
— Corbin (@corbin_young21) June 18, 2026
🪙Alcantara… pic.twitter.com/KDFrtwXQSg
One guy the A's could get to bolster their rotation is Sandy Alcantara. The ace is on fire to start his 2026 campaign, and would make himself the ace of the A's staff as well.
He currently leads the league in several stats and will bring valuable experience to the team as they look to compete in October.
Sandy Alcantara as Fit for A's
Sandy has had a very nice start to his 2026 campaign, holding a 4.18 ERA in 103.1 innings pitched. He leads all of Major League Baseball in innings pitched, and also leads with 16 starts.
Unsurprisingly, with those stats, he's also faced more batters than every single MLB pitcher this season. His numbers could really help the A's staff after seeing what happened in Civale's return from the IL.
The Marlins have milked out as many possible innings out of Alcantara this season, and it would be awesome if the A's could get that production out of him.
It has been a roller coaster rostering Sandy Alcantara this season.
— Andrew DeCeglie (@Andrew_FBB) June 18, 2026
Starts allowing 3 runs or fewer (12):
92.2 IP
1.46 ERA
61 K : 20 BB
Starts allowing more than 3 runs (4):
17.2 IP
14.54 ERA
16 K : 6 BB
Alcantara has been in MLB for nine seasons and has been known as a true ace, and insider Jeff Passan viewed the A's as a potential fit for him.
With Gage Jump pitching like an ace and proving so once again on Thursday, Alcantara can join him and Ginn as the top pitchers in the current rotation. This move could also help take the reliever, Jack Perkins, out of the rotation.
Sandy Alcantara Mock Trade
There are several mock trades out there for Sandy Alcantara to the A's, but one trade really sticks out as a win-win for both sides.
Sandy Alcantara Mock Trades pic.twitter.com/7BThnWelPv
— MLB Nerds (@MLBNerds) June 17, 2026
The deal has Sandy Alcantara and reliever Anthony Bender being sent to the A's. In return, the Marlins would recieve fourth ranked prospect Wei En-Lin and 18th-ranked Zane Taylor.
En-Lin just got promoted to Las Vegas and has struggled, and while he could be a good prospect, he hasn't proved anything. Taylor has also not proved anything yet.
Sandy Alcántara, Nasty 87mph Sweeper. 😨
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 17, 2026
6th K pic.twitter.com/tKJhVw70Ek
Getting two proven big league arms could be worth it for the A's. Especially because Bender has experience closing games and has looked like a reliable reliever for the Marlins. The A's not only could really use Alcantara, but also a reliable arm like Bender.
It's unclear whether the A's would do this, but the Marlins probably would. Because of the experience Bender and Alcantara bring to the table, it should be a no-doubter for the A's.
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Dylan Quinn grew up playing baseball, and also enjoyed watching and writing about his favorite team, the A’s. Being a diehard A’s fan from New Jersey is certainly not common, but he loves the team and all of the current and former players so much. Quinn currently attends school at Penn State Scranton where he plays baseball.
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