The Miami Marlins are already well out of postseason contention. They are 23-37 and in the basement of the National League East, 15 games out of first place.
They have Sandy Alcantara on their roster, and he was widely expected to be traded this year at the deadline. However, he has struggled this year.
Those struggles could affect his stock and possibly even prevent him from being traded this summer. Some teams could be scared away.
Chad Jennings of The Athletic noted that the 29-year-old right-hander could potentially shape the trade deadline this summer.
“The question isn’t whether the Marlins will play their way out of sell mode in the next month. It’s whether Alcantara will pitch his way back to elite trade chip status,” Jennings wrote.
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This could pose a major problem for the Marlins. If he were back to his Cy Young form from 2022, then they would be easily able to bring back a haul for him at the deadline.
However, he’s 2-7 with a 7.89 ERA in his 12 starts since returning from Tommy John surgery. Though returns from such surgeries can be challenging, Alcantara is certainly not setting the world on fire.
Again, this could hurt his stock significantly. His two years of club control plus a club option for 2027 make him at attractive trade candidate, but if he can’t turn his season around, the Marlins may not be able to get as much for him.
Teams may end up buying low on the veteran right-hander. There is also the possible scenario that he remains in Miami.
It will be interesting to see how he pitches leading up to the deadline.
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