Padres-Marlins trade pitch sends $56M Cy Young winner to San Diego in move to threaten Dodgers

The San Diego Padres sit at 31-24 at this point in the season, which is not bad, but it is still not where the team ultimately wants to be. Recently, the Padres’ offense has begun to struggle.

Players like Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, and others have not been consistently producing at the plate. Over the last week, the team’s offensive numbers have been particularly concerning.

“The Padres have mostly been solid with runners in scoring position this season. They entered play Monday with a .763 OPS with RISP. That ranks ninth in the Majors, despite an overall team OPS that ranked 29th. But San Diego went 0-for-9 with RISP on Monday and is now 2-for-35 across the first seven games of this homestand -- including 0-for-22 in the past three,” MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell wrote.

San Diego will likely need to make moves at the trade deadline, and even though the offense has struggled, the starting rotation may need reinforcement just as badly. A trade for Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara would make a lot of sense.

“Enter Sandy Alcántara. The 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner is slowly rounding back into his pre-Tommy John surgery form for the Miami Marlins. Alcántara, 30, is 3-3 with a 4.00 ERA in 11 starts through week's end. His average fastball velocity (97.2 mph) has returned, and his 6.8% walk rate suggests his command is back to normal,” SI’s J.P. Hoornstra wrote.

The rotation has been hit by injuries for much of the season, most notably with Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta. Even when those arms return, it remains unclear when they will be fully available or effective.

Alcántara is on a $56 million deal that includes an option for 2027. After a difficult return from injury last season, he has begun to look closer to his usual form this year.

As a former Cy Young winner with proven stuff, Alcántara could stabilize the rotation while the team gets healthier. Adding him would also help the Padres make a stronger push against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West race.

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