The Miami Marlins defeated the New York Mets 7-4 on Thursday to rise to 63-71. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough may have found another diamond in the rough with Jakob Marsee. Despite the success of his young players, though, Miami will miss the playoffs yet again. The team's inconsistency brings the future of Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, and Edward Cabrera into question.
Perez is well on his way to becoming the Marlins' ace on the mound. He and Cabrera garnered interest from teams around the league during the chaos of the trade deadline. However, Miami did not move either of them before the July 31 deadline. While hesitating there might help the team in the long-term, Alcantara remaining on the roster was a mistake.
The former National League Cy Young Award winner hasn't been the same since he missed the Marlins' 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. He is a shadow of his former self, leaving McCullough in a tough place when deciding what to do with him. On one hand, he is arguably the best starting pitcher in team history. On the other, he is a liability on this year's roster.
Alcantara is in the middle of his prime at 29 years old. However, his injuries makes measuring the effectiveness of his career difficult. If he had not suffered any major issues throughout the beginning of his time in Major League Baseball, he could be effective for many years to come. However, a torn UCL throws conventional thinking out the window, especially for a starter.
The Marlins held on the Alcantara at this year's deadline. Unfortunately, his pitching in the second half of the season has not done a lot to convince Miami that he is worth keeping around. Here is why the Marlins should flip the former All-Star this offseason.
Why should the Marlins trade Alcantara?
Alcantara is 7-11 with a 5.87 ERA entering this weekend. For a starter of his caliber, those numbers are simply unacceptable. However, he has had some good moments on the mound throughout the season. The problem is that he has two or three poor starts for every good one. That kind of inconsistency is not conducive to long-term success for a rebuilding Marlins team.
The growth of Perez and Cabrera make moving on from Alcantara a much easier pill to swallow. Miami shopped Cabrera to the New York Yankees, demanding a top prospect in return. However, he is already pushing for the top spot in McCullough's rotation and could soon become untouchable. He and Perez form a duo that compliments the Marlins' young core very well.
Alcantara has ties all around Miami and the organization. The team loves him and appreciates all he has done over the seven seasons he has played for them. However, there comes a time where a team needs to accept the fact that business decisions need to be made. Alcantara is simply not productive enough to keep around on a team trying to fight its way back into relevancy.
Where should the Marlins trade Alcantara?
If the Marlins front office decides to move Alcantara this winter, they have two requirements to meet. First of all, they should do their best to send the former All-Star to a team where he has a chance to contend. The team owes him at least that much. Additionally, sending him to the American League prevents the possibility of running into him during a playoff series.
With those two things in mind, the team that fits the best is, ironically, the Yankees. New York had interest in Alcantara at the deadline, but the Marlins' asking price was a bit too high. However, revisiting those conversations during the offseason could result in an amenable deal where both sides win. An Alcantara trade to the Yankees could help each team take a step forward.
Miami might have missed its chance to get the most out of Alcantara via trade. However, moving him is the clearest path forward for the young core that is developing. McCullough has what he needs to make a serious move in the National League East. Despite the promising young talent, the Marlins have yet to lean all the way into it. Moving Alcantara gives them almost no choice.
Miami has an opportunity to bring in another impactful prospect in a big trade this offseason. Alcantara's best seasons are likely behind him, making now the best time to move off of him. If the Marlins can pull it off, they have as bright a future as any other team in the league.
