Marlins Ace Named a Trade Candidate for Orioles

As the Baltimore Orioles continue to search for pitching help, the team has been linked to a former Cy Young Award winner on the trade market.

Sep 26, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) exits the game against the New York Mets during the eighth inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

As Baltimore Orioles fans continue to wait on news about a possible signing of Framber Valdez, the team has been linked to another ace via the trade market.

In his Tuesday morning article for The Athletic, MLB insider Jim Bowden took a look at seven big names who could be traded before the start of the season. Bowden mentioned the usual names that have been making their rounds on the hot stove all offseason, like Tarik Skubal and Ketel Marte. But he also mentioned Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara as a potential trade target for the Orioles.

https://t.co/UYeOGBpgmu

— Jim Bowden⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) January 27, 2026

It wasn’t long ago that Alcantara was widely considered to be one of the best aces in the league. In 2022, he took home the NL Cy Young Award, leading the majors with 228.2 innings of work and posting a phenomenal 2.28 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. But in 2023, the workload seemed to catch up to him. Alcantara struggled as his ERA ballooned to 4.14, and in October, he underwent Tommy John Surgery, sidelining him for the entire 2024 season.

In 2025, Alcantara returned, but like many pitchers coming off a TJ procedure, he struggled with command. Bowden expects Alcantara to have a return to form, now nearly three years removed from his surgery.

Read More: Insider Calls Framber Valdez the Best Fit for the Orioles

Alcantara provides a relatively low-risk and high-return potential if the Orioles traded for him. He is signed through 2026, with a club-friendly team option of just $21 million for 2027. The Orioles could pivot off a massive contract for Valdez and trade some of their young pieces for Alcantara.

Baltimore has done well to shore up their pitching this offseason and is clearly still in the market for another frontline starter. The O’s added Shane Baz from the Tampa Bay Rays, and have been the betting favorites to land Valdez, although the longer that standoff goes, the more the Orioles need to pivot to another option.

The Orioles certainly have the pieces that would interest Miami in a trade. The team had five names on both Baseball America's and Keith Law’s Top 100 prospects list, even after trading four top prospects for Baz. Any trade discussions with the Orioles would likely begin with interest in either Samuel Basallo or Dylan Beavers, although Basallo is likely off-limits due to being signed to a contract extension.

Sandy Alcantara's final eight starts in 2026:

5-1
2.68 ERA
0.86 WHIP
24.9% k-rate
4.8% bb-rate

OH SANDY! pic.twitter.com/rODn62nlER

— Dave L Funnell (@sportz_nutt51) January 24, 2026

At the age of 30, Alcantara is two years younger than Valdez and would come with a much cheaper price tag, at least for the next two seasons. Adding the Marlins’ ace would immediately solidify the Orioles’ rotation as one of the best in baseball and represent another big step for the team to be taken seriously as contenders in 2026.

If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.