Cardinals May Target Reunion With $56 Million Ace in Blockbuster Trade

The Miami Marlins entertained the idea of trading former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Sandy Alcántara at the trade deadline this season, but no deal ever came to fruition. Alcántara originally came up to the big leagues with St. Louis before being moved in a huge trade early in his career.

Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller recently suggested the Marlins would finally trade Alcántara in the offseason.

"Here's a fun fact: Alcantara's FIP prior to Friday night's gem in Boston was 4.55, exactly the same as what he posted in 2019 when he was named an All-Star for the first time," Miller wrote. "Granted, that ASG honor was a "someone from this 105-loss disaster needs to make the team" situation, but it was also the beginning of his rise to stardom.

"And the fielder independent data suggests he has pitched equally well this season. ERA sure paints a different story, but at least he has been healthy. Couple that with the notion that his bad luck won't last forever and Alcantara is a phenomenal buy-low candidate."

If Alcántara is back on the trade block and eventually dealt during the winter months, the Cardinals would be the perfect landing spot in a reunion with the former Cy Young winner.

A reunion with Sandy Alcántara would be the best-case scenario for Cardinals

Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántar — Aug 4, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) looks on against the Houston Astros during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

There are a few reasons this potential trade could make sense.

The Cardinals are rebuilding, so it's not often that a buying deal would make sense, but Alcántara is on a team-friendly contract for the next few seasons. It's not a rental like trading for somebody like Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, or Steven Matz at the trade deadline.

Alcántara would fill the biggest void on the Cardinals' roster. The pitching rotation has been a huge problem in St. Louis for the last few months. They have Sonny Gray and Matthew Liberatore at the top of the rotation, but neither are a true ace. Pitchers like Quinn Mathews, Tink Hence, Michael McGreevy, and other prospects could develop into aces, but that's far from a guarantee.

Alcántara, when healthy and firing on all cylinders, is an ace. He hasn't pitched like it for most of this year, but the path back from Tommy John surgery isn't linear. The righty will likely continue to make improvements for the next few months before getting back to himself in 2026.

Either way, trading for the righty during the offseason would be buying as low as possible on a potential Cy Young winner. The Cardinals would be foolish not to go for it.

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