Marlins reportedly want to keep pitcher Sandy Alcantara, add pieces at MLB trade deadline
For at least the past two seasons, Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara has been a popular subject of trade rumors for postseason contenders looking to add a top-notch starter to their rotation.
This year, Alcantara very likely won't be available for potential deals because the Marlins are in the playoff race.
At 52-42 going into Friday's matchup with the Cleveland Guardians, Miami is tied with the Philadelphia Phillies for second place in the National League East and one of the NL's three wild-card playoff spots. The Marlins have the sixth-best record in the league.
With that success, Miami is looking to make additions while it competes for a postseason berth, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reports. Among the types of players the Marlins are pursuing are a third baseman, a starting pitcher for the back of the rotation and a late-inning reliever.
The Marlins ascended into playoff competition by going 20-6 in June and are 6-2 this month.
The Krown sits with El Caballo. 👑 https://t.co/R7OlD451rCpic.twitter.com/IlZW6e2iRO
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) June 24, 2026
Alcantara, 30, has a 4.00 ERA and 10-4 record in 19 starts this season. He leads MLB with 123 2/3 innings pitched, notching 92 strikeouts.
The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner, Alcantara has made 28 or more starts in five of his nine MLB seasons and appears to be on his way to reaching that mark again this year. He missed the 2024 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery and recovering from that likely contributed to his career-high 5.36 ERA last season.
""He represents the very best of not only the Marlins, but he represents the very best of baseball," Marlins majority owner Bruce Sherman said of Alcantara to Marlins Radio.
"He's our franchise icon," he added. "And for us, I look forward to many years in the future and what this all becomes."
Miami's front office intends to make more definitive plans after the MLB Draft (which begins Saturday), according to Rosenthal. But unless the Marlins spiral downward between now and the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline, they see themselves as buyers.
Third basemen Miami could pursue include the Houston Astros' Issac Paredes, Matt Shaw of the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds' Eugenio Suárez. Among the pitchers the Marlins might target are Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman and Kansas City Royals starter Michael Wacha.
Yet unlike in previous years, the Marlins don't have one of the top minor-league systems. MLB.com has Miami's farm system ranked 11th, while The Athletic puts it at 22nd. However, the organization does have highly regarded prospects — including pitchers Thomas White and Robby Snelling — who could be the centerpiece of a deal.
