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MLB insider Ken Rosenthal believes that the Miami Marlins might refrain from making an early trade deal for Sandy Alcantara, even though he is confident they will ship the right-handed pitcher out at some point this year. Rosenthal also said that teams looking to add the Marlins ace to their roster may also want to observe him for a little longer before making a move.
Alcantara made his MLB debut with the St. Louis Cardinals before getting traded to the Marlins in 2018. He signed a five-year, $56 million contract extension with the club in 2021, and won the National League Cy Young Award the following season. However, Alcantara had to undergo Tommy John surgery at the end of the 2023 season and therefore missed the entire 2024 campaign.
Rosenthal offered his perspective on the possibility of an early trade for Sandy Alcantara in his appearance on the "Foul Territory" podcast on Tuesday.
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"We all know the Marlins are going to do this. There is no secret about that. It's just a matter of when," Rosenthal said. "Could he be the first one traded? Yes, but I also believe teams are going to want to see more. They're going to want to see you keep pitching. He's coming off Tommy John surgery, of course.
"They don't want to base this off six, seven starts, whatever the case might be," Rosenthal added. "There needs to be more of a body of work for teams to be convinced he's back to where he was. He's looked good so far, but a little inconsistent. So, I expect him to be traded, but maybe not that early."
Alcantara has made just three regular-season starts since returning from Tommy John surgery in spring training. He has pitched just 15.1 innings thus far, currently has a 2-0 record and a 4.70 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 12 strikeouts.
Marlins may benefit by keeping Sandy Alcantara for longer: Ken Rosenthal
Rosenthal also shed light on how the Marlins could even benefit by delaying a trade deal for Sandy Alcantara.
"The difference between Alcantara and some of the other players that they traded, [Luis] Arraez, most notably, is that he has more years of control," Rosenthal said. "So, they might be hesitant, thinking, 'Well, we can keep him as long as we possibly can. Drive the price up. We have the years of control. So we don't have to do anything.'"
Alcantara presently has a $17.3 million annual salary on his contract, which expires at the end of the 2026 campaign. There is a $21 million club option for the following season with a $2 million buyout clause.
