Padres Floated as Early Landing Spot for Cy Young Winner in Blockbuster Trade

As we draw closer to the MLB trade deadline this summer, the San Diego Padres are being viewed as a team to watch.

After a hot start to the season, the Padres have taken a step back, but this unit still believes in itself. The Padres have a nice collection of talent on the roster, and a few additions could have them right back in the playoff mix.

Having A.J. Preller as the president of baseball operations also helps the Padres' chances to make some moves. Preller has been known to be aggressive in how he operates, never shying away from going after big-name players in trades.

And now the Padres have been floated as a potential landing spot for a former Cy Young award winner by MLB insider Jon Heyman of The New York Post amid the team's need for starting pitching help.

This would be right-hander Sandy Alcántara of the Miami Marlins, who many insiders around the league believe could be moved this year.

Should the Padres Pursue Sandy Alcántara?

Assuming that Alcántara does get placed into real trade conversations, the Padres should absolutely go after him. Alcántara has incredible talent on the mound, and he could help transform this starting rotation by adding a true ace.

While the big fish for every pitching-needy team would be Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers, the cost may be too high. Moreover, Skubal will be a free agent at the end of the year, while Alcántara has a club option for $21 million for next season.

Alcántara has been solid this season, posting an ERA of 4.25 over 15 starts for the Marlins. The right-hander has been linked to the Padres in the past, and the two franchises know each other well from other deals over the years.

The one question with a trade for Alcántara is what the Marlins would want back to part with him. Miami has held firm on its asking price for the right-hander over the years, and they are likely to ask for a lot again this year.

But Preller has been known to get creative in deals to land the player that he wants. We could see that play out here again, without the Padres moving away from their top two prospects in the system in catcher Ethan Salas and pitcher Kruz Schoolcraft.

Adding Alcántara to the mix would give the Padres a legitimate rotation, especially if both Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove are able to return from injury after the All-Star break. Alcántara could slide in as the top starter for this group, offering San Diego some strong depth across the board.

Having Alcántara, Pivetta, Musgrove, Michael King, Lucas Giolito and Randy Vásquez, among others, could turn the starting group into a strength for the Padres. This could bode well for them in the postseason, with teams always needing more pitching help when the games matter most.

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