The Marlins may not trade Sandy Alcantara

Almost every offseason and at every trade deadline, Sandy Alcantara's name comes up in trade rumors. And the 2026 season will be no exception if the Miami Marlins don't turn things around—they currently sit at 18-22.

However, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, we need to take a step back when it comes to discussing trading Alcantara away.

The Marlins' young pitchers show promise. But as long as the team remains in contention, trading Alcantara would send the wrong message. If the Marlins manage to develop a surplus in their rotation, they could perhaps trade 30-year-old Janson Junk or 27-year-old Max Meyer instead.

Alcantara had his share of struggles last year as he recovered from Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss the entire 2024 season. Upon his return to the mound in 2025, the right-hander posted the worst earned run average of his career, a whopping 5.36 for the season.

Latest notes, free to read:

How Braves' Baldwin could raise bar for catcher

salariesNo extension in works for Reds'

StewartCardinals

risingWhy Marlins might keep

SandyA's outfield

jamWhite Sox's

Montgomery*Dodgers' W. Smith, H. Kimhttps://t.co/16oSlQTHqB

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 5, 2026

According to Rosenthal, however, this does nothing to diminish his importance under the hot Florida sun.

Alcantara's importance to the team goes beyond his ERA, which stands at 3.04 after 47 1/3 innings. Alcantara, 30, is a leader in the locker room, highly respected in the community, and a favorite of owner Bruce Sherman. He also earns $17.3 million with a $21 million club option for next season.

There is already buzz throughout Major League Baseball about Alcantara's services, starting with the Detroit Tigers, who are looking to fill the void left by Tarik Skubal on the mound.

But this may remain at the discussion stage for the umpteenth time.

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