Marlins Starting Pitching is Hot Commodity as Winter Meetings Approach
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Most of the offseason chatter so far has been surrounding the Miami Marlins pitchers. Will they trade one or won't they? That is going to be the question until decisions are made. There have been a number of rumors about who is available and who isn't. As the Winter Meetings approach this week, Miami's pitching will be the hottest commodity among teams.
The Marlins don't need to trade any of their top arms, Edward Cabrera, Sandy Alcantara, and Ryan Weathers, who has reportedly drawn trade interest recently. It has been reported that youngster Eury Perez is an untouchable this offseason.
Most of the interest is going to surround Cabrera and Alcantara. If Miami decides to move either, they would likely land the Marlins a nice package in return. Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required) reported on Friday that the Marlins are listening to their top two right-handers. On Sunday morning, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that Miami is not trading Alcantara.
Marlins Reportedly Not Trading Sandy Alcantara
According to Nightengale, Kyle Stowers would like an extension to remain in South Florida, but there has been no movement on that front. Nightengale also reported that Miami is looking to spend more money this year. Then he had a tidbit regarding Alcantara.
"The Marlins have told teams that ace Sandy Alcantara is staying, but starter Edward Cabrera is available,'' Nightengale wrote.
That is some big news, but not really surprising. If the Marlins are going to trade one of their top arms, Cabrera makes the most sense. If someone is moved, it still gives Miami a solid rotation to start the season with hopes of contending in Year 2 under manager Clayton McCullough.
At the Winter Meetings in Orlando this week, there are a lot of questions to be answered. It's not guaranteed that a move will be made this week, but the foundation for a deal could begin.
Cabrera makes sense for a lot of teams because he is 27 years old, younger than Alcantara, and is owed $3.7 million in 2026 and is under team control through 2028. In 2025, Cabrera proved that he is healthy, despite dealing with some setbacks. He went 8-7 this past season with a 3.53 ERA in 137.2 innings with 150 strikeouts and 48 walks with a 2.8 WAR.
Miami made major strides as a team in 2025, finishing just four games behind the Cincinnati Reds for the final National League Wild Card spot. Nobody saw that coming off a 100-loss 2024 season. They are a few moves away from being a contender in the National League East, with some of the teams in the division going through some changes. Pitching wins, and Miami has some big decisions to make in terms of breaking it up this offseason.
