The Chicago Cubs Should Trade for the Ace of the Miami Marlins Rotation

Sandy Alcántara is one of the best pitchers in all of Major League Baseball and is coming off of Tommy John surgery, the Chicago Cubs would be buying low on a valuable asset.

The Chicago Cubs so far this off season have done really well gathering the players needed to fill out the roster and hopefully get back to the playoffs after not making them since 2020 where they lost to the Miami Marlins in the National League Wild Card series 2-0. Now five years later the Chicago Cubs have a really good chance to make the playoffs in 2025 with the moves they have made already like acquiring outfielder Kyle Tucker in a trade they made with the Houston Astros and adding Carson Kelly to fill out their catching depth just to name a few.

Why the Chicago Cubs can Seize the National League Central

Given the state of the National League Central with-it kind of being wide open, the Cubs are primed to seize the National League Central title this year. The Pittsburg Pirates so far have not made many moves to better their roster other than doing a little addition by subtraction and they don’t appear to be making a playoff run anytime soon. The Cincinnati Reds could take a step forward this season, but in reality, look to be the same as they were last season. The St. Louis Cardinals are entering a “rebuilding” phrase and are trying to play more of their younger players so they will look to be at the bottom of the standings in 2025.

That just leaves the Milwakuee Brewers who have won the National League Central title for the past two years. The Brewers still will be very competitive even with the subtraction of their All-Star Closer Devin Williams who they recently traded to the New York Yankees. So far, the Chicago Cubs are on the right track with the moves they have already made at competing with Brewers for the National League Central title, but the Cubs still need to add an Ace level starting pitcher to round out their pitching staff, and I believe that pitcher they need is Miami Marlins Ace Sandy Alcántara.

Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins already linked in Trade Negotiations

The Chicago Cubs were already involved in trade negotiations earlier this winter with the Miami Marlins in the hopes that the Cubs could acquire left-hander Jesús Luzardo, but the deal ultimately fell through with the Cubs backing out due to Luzardo’s medicals. Ultimately Luzardo was traded over to their divisional opponent the Philadelphia Phillies. Even though the Cubs missed out on Luzardo who has the potential upside to be a really good #2 starting pitcher, the Cubs should look to pluck another and even more talented arm from them in Sandy Alcántara.

Why trading for Sandy Alcántara makes sense for the Cubs to do

In the discussions the Cubs and Marlins were having prior to the deal going dead, prospects names such as outfielder Owen Caissie and James Triantos were being tossed out. Per Bruce Levine:

“Cubs and Marlins talking deal for starter Jesus Luzardo. Marlins want young controllable bat back. James Triantos or Owen Cassie would likely be in the deal.”

If names like Owen Caissie (Cubs #2, MLB #34) and James Triantos (Cubs #5, MLB #55) were being thrown out as the asking price for Luzardo, then certainly the same price can be asked of Alcántara. In the Luzardo deal Levine was saying either Triantos or Caissie “would likely be in the deal”, given Alcántara status of being a former Cy Young Winner which he won in 2022, the price in my opinion would be both prospects and not just one or the other.

Buying Low

Sandy Alcántara missed all of last year after having Tommy John surgery back in 2023. In a recent interview given to the Miami Herald General Manager of the Miami Marlin Peter Bendix was asked if Sandy Alcántara was available in trade discussions and he replied by saying:

“You said it: We never rule out anything. We listen to everything. Sandy is a really important piece for our organization. I’m really excited to see him pitch on Opening Day.”

Being that Alcántara is coming off Tommy John, Bendix and the Marlins may look to hold onto him as off now so he can reestablish his value so they can look to trade him at the trade deadline next July. However, given the Marlins just traded Luzardo who was also injured for the majority of last season, Bendix could potentially move Alcántara as well this winter. The Miami Marlins expected payroll for 2025 according to Spotrac figures to be at around $60 million making it the lowest if not one of the lowest payrolls in all of Major League Baseball.

Alcántara is currently the highest paid player on the Miami Marlins payroll who this season is set to make $17.3 million both this year and next year, with a club for 2027 for $21 million for a total of $55.6 million over the next three years. With the Miami Marlins entering yet another rebuilding phase and are trying to acquire young, inexpensive, and more importantly controllable players to hopefully be better in the near future, trading Alcántara makes sense for them to do. Given as I said the asking price the Marlins got for Luzardo I think a similar package is in order for the Cubs to send over in order to acquire Alcántara.

With the Chicago Cubs recently trading away outfielder Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees for reliever Cody Poteet that ridded them of Bellinger’s massive $27.5 million contract which can now be used to acquire someone like Sandy Alcántara who is making roughly $10 million less than Bellinger.

The Deal

As I said with the Cubs shedding Bellinger’s salary from their payroll for this season, they would have no problem assuming all the $55.6 million Sandy Alcántara is owed for this season being it’s just slightly over what Bellinger would’ve made if he would’ve stayed and opted into his $25 million deal for next season.

Chicago Cubs receive: right-hander Sandy Alcántara

Miami Marlins receive: second basemen/outfielder James Triantos (Cubs #5, MLB #55), outfielder Kevin Alcántara (Cubs #6 prospect, MLB #67)

With the Miami Marlins already asking for Triantos in the negotiations they were having for Jesús Luzardo it only makes sense to include him here in a deal for Sandy Alcántara. Given that at the moment Triantos is blocked on the infield depth chart by long time staple at second base Nico Hoerner who recovers from off season surgery and will be the everyday second basemen once reinstated, and being that the Cubs are giving top prospect Matt Shaw the look to win the starting third base job, Triantos is the odd man out.

Kevin Alcántara who is currently on the 40-man roster would be another great addition to add to a young Marlins team. With the Marlins having a wide-open outfield for anyone to win a spot and Alcántara needing consistently at-bats and everyday playing team which the Cubs can’t offer already having a packed outfield and Owen Caissie looking to be the top choice for the outfield if anything happens Alcántara is another odd man out.

If the Chicago Cubs could actually get a deal done to acquire someone as talented as Sandy Alcántara than realistically their off season would be a major success, and the Cubs would be one of the top teams in the National League. Sandy Alcántara would be the anchor the Cubs need in order to lead this pitching staff through the playoff as well as adding another right-hander to a pretty left-handed dominant starting staff.

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