Sandy Alcantara's Marlins Future is Becoming Abundantly Clear

Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara put forth another solid start on Monday night, and while he wasn't dazzling, it was definitely a reminder that he may have rediscovered his groove.

Alcantara went five innings in the Marlins' loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, allowing two runs on five hits while registering five strikeouts. Great? No. Another step up from where he was earlier this season? You bet.

Make that three consecutive starts where Alcantara has surrendered two runs or less, which followed a stretch in which the former NL Cy Young award winner was shelled for four runs or more in eight of nine outings. That included giving up five-plus runs five times during that span.

Alcantara is still quite a ways away from his normal self, but not only did he take another step toward reclaiming his former glory on Monday, but he also inched closer to being moved at the MLB trade deadline next month.

The 29-year-old is widely viewed as the best trade chip potentially hitting the market in the coming weeks, but prior to this recent stretch of performances, it was beginning to look like Miami would ultimately hold on to Alcantara due to his plummeting trade value.

Not so fast.

Suddenly, the right-hander has re-emerged as a quality starter, and there is always the chance that he re-establishes himself as a frontline ace. That's what pitching-needy contenders are hoping for, and if Alcantara continues on this positive trajectory, it's not hard to imagine a World Series hopeful coughing up considerable assets for him.

Remember: Alcantara is not an impending free agent. He is under team control through 2027, where his contract features a club option. He isn't earning a ton of money, either. He is making $17.3 million both this season and in 2026, and his option is for $21 million. Hardly exorbitant.

So if the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Detroit Tigers or some other contender is thinking about swooping in and swinging a trade for Alcantara, they wouldn't have to fret about the Dominican native potentially being a half-year rental who could bolt in free agency next winter.

It was barely a week ago that the Marlins seemed primed to retain Alcantara through the rest of the season, but now, the 6-foot-5 hurler is trending toward getting dealt once again.

We know Miami's track record, and we understand the type of value Alcantara would have if he continues pitching well between now and July 31.

There stands a very sizeable chance that Alcantara will finish the 2025 campaign in a different uniform, thus ending his thrilling eight-year tenure in South Beach.

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