Comeback stories in baseball are hit or miss, but Sandy Alcántara isn’t leaving anything to chance! The Marlins’ $56 million ace was painting the corners like an artist, firing fastballs with the same dominance that won him the Cy Young in 2022. His electric performance not only turned heads, but it even sparked a blockbuster trade prediction from Jon Morosi. Message received: Sandy is back.
Morosi set the baseball world abuzz with his bold statement on the MLB network, claiming that Alcántara’s remarkable return, just three starts back from Tommy John surgery, has put him on the radar of every other team in the MLB. He suggested that they would be open to entertaining offers. Especially considering that they are currently in a rebuilding phase.
Sandy Alcantara has been looking sharp through his first three Spring Training outings @jonmorosi | #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/RRuQohfzWQ
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 6, 2025
Jon Morosi didn’t mince words. “Another tremendous outing yesterday,” he said, watching Sandy Alcántara carve up hitters with precision. “The stuff is back, at least in terms of effectiveness. Right now, 29 teams are paying attention, knowing he could be the missing piece to their rotation.”
And with the Marlins in a rebuilding phase, Morosi sees the writing on the wall. “At some point this season, Miami will listen to offers for Alcántara,” he predicted. “I expect him to be one of the biggest trade deadline targets of 2025.”
Jon Morosi is not wrong, though. With a two-year $34.6 million contract, followed by a $21 million club option for the 2027 season, Sandy Alcántara is an incredibly attractive trade asset, and scouts and executives across the league will surely be weighing the potential impact of adding him to their rosters.
Marlins set innings limit for Alcántara
The Marlins are reportedly set to place Sandy Alcántara on an innings limit, especially during the early stages of the upcoming MLB season, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. While this could mean that they want to keep him healthy in the hopes of pitching in the playoffs, it also opens the door for a possible trade, as Morosi suggested.
It is understandable why the Marlins want to take it easy on their star pitcher. He did miss all of 2024 recovering from his surgery. Knowing now, however, that he will not be driven to the ground by the Marlins will be an added incentive for other teams to keep an eye on the star pitcher.
It is also interesting to note that this could be a deliberate attempt to keep Alcántara healthy as they prepare to move on from him. Their ongoing roster teardown clearly suggests a rebuild, and trading Alcántara seems to be a logical move in this process.
Taking all of this into consideration, it appears that the Marlins want to reduce the risk of further injury to Alcántara. This way they can maximize their trade potential. However, we will only truly know their strategic direction in the weeks or months to come. Until then, we can only wait and watch.
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