Marlins get same trade rumor as last year with Sandy Alcantara despite hot start

The Miami Marlins are off to a 10-12 start to the season, which doesn't seem all that impressive, but with the New York Mets floundering at 7-15 and the Philadelphia Phillies at 8-13, that Marlins record isn't so bad.

However, despite the decent start for the Marlins, the team ending up as sellers at the MLB trade deadline is the expectation for this team.

And for the second year in a row, as ESPN's David Schoenfield noted, Sandy Alcantara is the top trade candidate for the Marlins. With a strong start and an appealing contract, teams are sure to have plenty of interest in Alcantara as well.

Sandy Alcantara is top Marlins trade candidate once again

"Trade candidate: Sandy Alcantara," Schoenfield writes. "Alcantara's strong start to 2026 has increased his trade value - the Marlins were wise not to trade him in the offseason."

While sending Alcantara away to a new team would be a sad day for the Marlins, he's righty looks to be back to All-Star caliber after some struggles last season.

He has a 3.06 ERA this season through five starts, one of which was a complete game shutout. He's one of the best pitchers in the game, and a top contender would surely be willing to splurge on a trade for Alcantara.

The 2022 Cy Young right-hander is under club control through the 2027 MLB season thanks to a $21 million option that, if he were to be traded, the acquiring team could invoke. If he's playing this well, he'd surely have that option picked up.

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Alcantara is the subject of trade rumors once again, and these won't go away until he's either traded or becomes a free agent. But this year's trade rumors might look a bit different.

The Marlins are no longer simply looking for prospects who won't see the field for a while; they could use Major League-caliber prospects.

Owen Caissie, the slugger the Marlins got for Edward Cabrera, is a great example of the kind of player the Marlins likely would see out in a trade.

If a team is interested in Alcantara, they are going to have to give up a lot to make a deal work. This will be a fascinating trade saga to follow this year, as an Alcantara deal seems to be, once again, on the table for the Marlins.

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