The Boston Red Sox are the hottest team in Major League Baseball and are now looking to be buyers at the trade deadline. The franchise was expected to take a dip after trading away All-Star slugger Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants. But now Boston finds itself just three games out of first place in the American League East.
Still, there are a few areas that need to be cleaned up should the Red Sox want to be a legitimate pennant contender. One of those weaknesses is with the starting pitcher rotation. Garrett Crockett is the clear-cut ace on this roster, but the Red Sox could use some more depth behind him, especially should the team make it to October.
One pitcher that has seemingly been on the trade market for most of the season is 2022 Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara. The two-time All-Star is still with the Miami Marlins and, unfortunately, has had a dismal 2025 season. Through 18 starts, Alcantara is 4-9 with a 7.22 ERA.
The 29-year-old currently has two more years on a five-year $56 million deal left with a club option coming up in 2027. However, the recent reports have suggested that Alcantara may not be dealt by the July 31 deadline and certainly not to Boston. NESN editor writer Mike Rosenstein revealed multiple insiders takes on the Red Sox’s interest on the Marlins ace.
In particular, Rosenstein verified that Masslive.com’s Sean McAdam’s report that “the Red Sox haven’t checked in with the Marlins on Alcantara ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline” has not changed. In addition, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale recently confirmed that Alcantara’s chances of being traded are very low should he continue this poor run of form.
Overall, while Alcantara should be in the middle of his prime, his struggles suggest otherwise. A change of scenery could be all Sandy needs to regain his All-Star level, and the Marlins are not exactly an exciting franchise to play for right now with their recent woes. But it’s not worth the risk for the Red Sox right now.
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