How often do the aspects of glaring need, obvious answer and perfect opportunity merge to provide a team with the ideal trade?
It has been a rather bumpy ride through the first month of the season for the starting rotation of the Los Angeles Dodgers, unless your name is Yoshinobu Yamamoto. And it has already put a heavy workload on the bullpen, which currently leads MLB in innings pitched, with nearly eight innings more than the next-closest team.
Roki Sasaki has shown glimpses of what he can do, but he lasted 6.0 innings in only one of his six starts, and walks continue to be a concern. Dustin May, who recently returned to the mound following an absence of nearly two years caused by injury and a crazy salad incident, has been understandably inconsistent over his first five outings.
But the big blow to the staff has been injuries.
Adding Sandy Alcantara Would Help Dodgers Address Injuries, Concerns in Rotation
Blake Snell, the two-time Cy Young Award winner who was signed during the offseason to a 5-year, $182 million deal, has made only two starts this season. Placed on the 15-day injured list earlier this season due to left shoulder inflammation, Snell has had a few setbacks in his attempt to get back on the field, and a timetable for his return is unknown.
Tyler Glasnow is similarly dealing with shoulder inflammation, and he was put on the injured list on Monday, with an uncertain timeframe. Tony Gonsolin is scheduled to make his debut on Wednesday, but he has been out since undergoing Tommy John surgery in August of 2023. Clayton Kershaw is currently rehabbing with a target date of May 17 to be removed from the 60-day IL, but Kershaw hasn’t made a major league appearance since August 30, 2024.
All of which is to say that the Dodgers definitely have a need for a starting pitcher. The obvious answer is on the Miami Marlins roster.
Price for Sandy Alcantara Could be ‘Dropping’ After Rough Start to 2025
Sandy Alcantara is widely expected to be traded at some point this season, and the Dodgers have long been linked to the ace right-hander, with one publication even suggesting that “no team can make a better case” than that reigning World Series champions to pick up the 2022 Cy Young Award winner.
As far as opportunity, Katrina Stebbins of the Los Angeles-focused FanSided blog “Dodgers Way” suggests that the cost to acquire Alcantara could be “dropping” due to a rough start in 2025 as he returns from Tommy John surgery in October of 2023. In 23.1 innings over five starts, Alcantara has given up 19 hits and 17 runs for an ERA of 6.56, with 17 strikeouts and 12 walks.
“Alcantara still wouldn’t be a terribly easy get — he’ll continued to be regarded as a top arm, and the Marlins would cite his Cy Young in order to get his price as high as it can possibly go,” Stebbins stressed. “But if he has a 6.00+ ERA by the trade deadline, it’s going to be really hard for the Marlins to ask for much.”
And with six prospects listed among the top 100 in MLB, the Dodgers certainly have the pieces to match Miami’s price.
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