MLB Trade Rumors: Marlins P Sandy Alcantara 'as Close to Untouchable as You Can Find'

Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara, the presumptive favorite for the National League Cy Young award, is unlikely to be traded this offseason.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, one source with the Marlins called the right-hander "as close to untouchable as you can find" in Major League Baseball.

Even though trading a superstar player in the prime of their career has been the Marlins' modus operandi for virtually their entire existence, Alcantara's contract situation does make it easier to envision them keeping him for at least the next couple of years.

Alcantara signed a five-year, $56 million extension in November 2021. The deal runs through the 2026 season and includes a $21 million team option for 2027.

Based on how the contract is structured, Alcantara's base salary won't be more than $9 million until after the 2024 season.

Even though the years and total value of the deals are vastly different, the structure of Alcantara's contract bears some resemblance to how the Marlins negotiated Giancarlo Stanton's 13-year, $325 million signed in November 2014.

Stanton only earned $30 million over the first three years of the deal. He was traded to the New York Yankees in December 2017, when his salary for the upcoming season was going to jump up to $25 million.

Per Spotrac, Miami only has $47.6 million in guaranteed money on the books for 2023. The total doesn't include players under team control or eligible for arbitration.

Alcantara would seem like the type of player a franchise would want to build around. The 27-year-old leads MLB in innings pitched (220.2) and complete games (five). He ranks second in the NL in ERA (2.32).

The Marlins enter Friday with a 65-91 record, fourth in the NL East. They haven't had a winning season since 2009 and have only made the playoffs once since 2004.