Major League Baseball is a brutal sport. One day you’re on top of the world, the next you’re being cast aside. Just ask Sandy Alcántara: former Miami Marlins‘ Cy Young winner. After signing a contract extension with the Marlins in 2021, he followed it up by winning the award. Sadly, Alcántara got injured late in the 2023 season, which resulted in Tommy John surgery. His return this year has been a bumpy one.
Sandy Alcántara’s Struggles
Over 20 starts this season, Alcántara has given up the most earned runs in the MLB and has a disastrous 6.66 ERA. His offspeed run value has fallen off from being in the 100th percentile in 2022 to 7th this season. He’s giving up more hard contact, walks, and hits, while generating fewer strikeouts and whiffs since before 2021. At the risk of sounding harsh, the reality is that Sandy just isn’t the same pitcher post-injury.
Trade Rumors
The Marlins were rumored to be shopping their highest-paid player this past offseason, and rumors have only continued to heat up this month.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today recently reported on the chances he gets traded.
“Trade interest in Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcántara has soared since his last start with teams now convinced he will be moved by the July 31 deadline.”
In addition to this report, the New York Mets were listed as a team interested in the right-handed starter.
Why the Mets Want to Trade for Him
Despite his awful season, Sandy is still only 29 years old, and he has the potential to bounce back. It’s been a struggle, no doubt, but there are still many front office executives who believe in him. Even with how he’s performed, he can still eat up innings for New York. He’s also improved over the past couple of months. His ERA has lowered from an 8.47ERA at the beginning of June to a 6.66 ERA. By no means is that good, but improvement is important to see.
An added plus is that Alcántara comes with control, as he’s under contract for $17.3 million next season and then has a $21 million club option in 2027. It wouldn’t be unheard of to see him slowly return to form. He may never be that dominant ace again, but Sandy can still eat up innings. Potentially, he could even be a middle-of-the-pack starter for the Mets next season.
Starting Pitching Market
The pitching market is the other reason it makes sense that multiple teams are after Alcántara. With Seth Lugo signing an extension with the Royals yesterday, there are such few available starting pitchers. The reality is that it is going to be a seller’s market, as shown by the lack of teams trading players away. The top names that have been brought up in rumors include Dylan Cease, Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, Edward Cabrera, and Tyler Anderson. The expectation is that it’s a light market, which makes taking a flier on Alcántara much more appealing.
The expectation should be that Sandy will be traded. It’s tough to tell where he ends up, but there are too many teams that must add a starter and too few starters available. If the Mets don’t want to pay a ridiculous premium for rotation depth, it may be worth rolling the dice on the 2022 Cy Young winner.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Mets Interested in Trading for Former Cy Young Winner appeared first on Heavy Sports.