Inside The Mets

New York Mets checked in on Cy Young winning ace

The Mets' front office is showing trade interest in one of baseball's most talented pitchers.
May 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets logo on the sleeve of J.D. Martinez during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
May 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Mets logo on the sleeve of J.D. Martinez during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

While the New York Mets surely still have their sights set on adding another bullpen piece in the wake of trading for Gregory Soto on July 25, perhaps addressing their most pressing need will free the front office up to now pursue a starting pitcher or outfield piece before the July 31 deadline.

The pitcher who has arguably been the most commonly discussed in trade talks since last season is Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcántara, who won the NL Cy Young award in 2022. Since then, the 29-year-old has undergone Tommy John surgery and struggled upon making his return this season, which is shown by him having a 6.66 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 104 innings pitched.

Read more: Mets seen as best trade fit for ex-Yankees star

Despite these tough numbers, the eye test shows that Alcántara still has electric stuff and is perhaps a few mechanical tweaks — or a change of scenery — away from reclaiming that Cy Young form he displayed just a few seasons ago.

Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) catches on July 4, 2025
Jul 4, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) catches the baseball against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Mets Beat Reporter Asserts New York Has "Checked In" on Alcántara

It appears that the Mets aren't overly concerned about Alcántara's 2025 stats, as New York Post Mets beat reporter Mike Puma made a July 25 X post that wrote, "The Mets are among the teams that have checked in on Sandy Alcantara. The asking price is steep. The Mets haven’t ruled out adding a starting pitcher, but view it as a tough add given the market."

The Mets are notoriously reluctant to part with their top prospects, specifically Jonah Tong, Jett Williams, Nolan McLean, and Brandon Sproat. Therefore, if the Marlins are demanding at least one of these players in return for Alcántara, a deal might be off the table.

But if Miami isn't depending on securing one of these top prospects, perhaps Alcántara will be in Queens by this time next week.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.