American League West Powerhouse Astros Emerging as Landing Spot for Marlins Pitcher
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Once the World Series ends, the offseason for MLB begins, and it could be a busy one for a lot of teams. One of those teams is the Miami Marlins, who might have their phone ring a lot in the front office from opposing clubs.
The starting pitcher free agent market is going to be a good one, but it is not blessed with a lot of top-of-the-rotation arms. That is going to have teams that miss out on Framber Valdez of the Houston Astros and Dylan Cease of the San Diego Padres checking in on trade targets.
Tarik Skubal will be the biggest name targeted by teams for a potential trade this offseason, but the Detroit Tigers don't have to move him. Teams will have to pivot in other directions. One way they could pivot is to the Marlins, who have a couple of starting pitchers that teams would covet. One team that will be in the market for a big arm is the Astros, and they have been linked to one of Miami's pitchers.
Astros Named as a Potential Landing Spot for Marlins Ace
MLB analyst Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) named 10 MLB stars most likely to be traded this offseason, and coming in at No. 6 was Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara. Bowden listed the Astros, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Baltimore Orioles, and New York Yankees as teams that would be possible landing spots.
"Next season, Alcantara will be another year removed from his Tommy John surgery, which bodes well for his chances of returning to his Cy Young form. This year, he made 31 starts and logged 174 2/3 innings, proving that he’s healthy. He also improved as the season went on — his second-half ERA was 3.33," wrote Bowden.
"The Marlins hold a team option for Alcantara for 2027, so he’s under team control for two more seasons. If Miami doesn’t get the asking price it wants this winter, the team will just hold onto him until next year’s trade deadline, giving him further time to get back to his accustomed level of dominance."
The key here is that Miami has Alcantara under team control for two more seasons, so unless they are completely blown away, they don't have to trade their right-hander. He was very good in the second half of the season, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him brought back with Edward Carbrera to solidify the top of the rotation next season. Marlins fans saw firsthand just how good he can be in the second half of the season.
One year after losing 100 games in 2024, Miami was predicted to lose 100 this season and ended up finishing just four games out of the final National League wild card spot. They don't need to trade Alcantara and can run it back next year. That won't stop teams from calling this winter.
