Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Miami Marlins were one of the bigger surprises from the 2025 season, even if they didn’t reach the goal of making the playoffs. But Miami did play much better than expected, and it took them until the final week of the season to officially be eliminated.

*PREDICTION*

Heading into the offseason, the Marlins have a lot of questions to answer across the roster. But none are bigger than what the future holds for former ace starter Sandy Alcantara.

Alcantara has been placed on the trade block a few times over the past couple of seasons, but to this point, Miami has held off from moving him. The right-hander was one of the better pitchers in all of baseball before undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024, and he just hasn’t been the same since.

The 202 National League Cy Young award winner was extremely dominant on the mound, and the Marlins are hoping that he can return to form this season. But the team has also looked into potentially moving Alcantara this winter, with multiple teams inquiring about what it may take to land him.

Miami has held very high asking prices in any trade talks for the former ace, making it difficult for any team to actually get a deal over the finish line. But all it takes is one team to view Alcantara as the missing piece, and a trade could be made to bring him into the mix.

The good news for the Fish, whether they trade him or keep him, is that Alcantara was able to stay healthy this past season. Alcantara made 31 starts for the Marlins this year, putting up a high ERA of 5.36 over 174.2 innings of work.

If Alcantara can return to form, the Marlins could get a steal of a player, especially as they try to go after a postseason spot. But interested teams could also view Alcantara as a wild-card, and that he could be a guy worth taking a gamble on going forward.

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Sandy Alcantara Traded Over to Arizona Diamondbacks 

One team that could view Alcantara as a strong bounce-back candidate is the Arizona Diamondbacks, whose starting rotation remains in flux right now. Like Miami, the Diamondbacks weren’t too far off from reaching the playoffs, and this was with the team suffering multiple injuries across the roster.

If Arizona could land the former ace, he could help them round out the starting rotation for the next few years. Alcantara remains under contract through the 2027 season, so this wouldn’t be a move by the Diamondbacks for a one-year rental.

Alcantara could slide in as a solid starter for this Arizona pitching staff, giving them some real depth for the season. The Diamondbacks have done well with guys like Alcantara in the past, and he could be the next big reclamation project for the organization.

While this move would be a risk, especially considering how expensive it may be to land Nim, the Diamondbacks have to do something with their rotation. Many people around the league, including Alcantara himself, believe that he will turn things around, and Arizona could get a former Cy Young winner for the staff.

This could be a gamble worth taking for the Snakes, and Arizona could get back to truly contending for a World Series title. If anything, Alcantara could give this team depth, and the Diamondbacks could always look to flip him at the trade deadline for more assets.