New MLB Rumors on Sandy Alcantara After Marlins Hold Ace Through Trade Deadline

Sandy Alcántara is not going anywhere.

The Miami Marlins had a chance to deal their ace but held onto the 2022 NL Cy Young winner through the 2026 MLB trade deadline.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, a deal was never close:

Alcántara had a rough time for a few years since his Cy Young season. His ERA jumped nearly two full runs from 2022 (2.28) to 2023 (4.14), then it was revealed he had a torn UCL and underwent Tommy John surgery in October 2023.

The injury kept Alcántara out for the entire 2024 season. He was healthy for the entire 2025 campaign, but it took time for him to get back into a good rhythm.

Alcántara posted an 8.47 ERA with 56 hits allowed, 40 strikeouts and 29 walks in 51 innings over his first 11 starts this season. The right-hander's first four starts in June were very encouraging with a 2.74 ERA in 23 innings, but he finished the month allowing seven earned runs in six innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The 2026 season has been more consistently positive for Alcántara, even though it's not at the level of his Cy Young campaign. He owns a 3.68 ERA in an MLB-high 156.2 innings.

After throwing 13 shutout innings over his past two starts, the stock was as high as ever with likely no shortage of teams seeking a game-changing pitcher. However, the Marlins will instead keep the 29-year-old as a key part of the team's core, under contract through next season if his $21 million team option gets picked up.

From 2019 to '22, Alcántara ranked seventh among all NL pitchers in FanGraphs' wins above replacement (13.4) and first in innings pitched (673.2). Despite a few rough season, he is clearly back on track toward being one of the game's best pitchers.

The Marlins entered Monday 1.5 games out of the NL wild card with a 58-55 record and remain a dangerous team down the stretch.