With trade deadline behind him, Marlins’ Alcantara wants ‘to stay here’

For the first time this season Monday, Sandy Alcantara will take the mound for the Marlins unburdened by trade speculation.

That ended Thursday with Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix’s decision not to deal the team’s ace and 2022 National League Cy Young award winner.

Before that, the rumors were admittedly a challenge for Alcantara in an uneven season returning from Tommy John surgery — he’s 6-9 with a 6.36 ERA through 21 starts.

“It was a little hard, you know, because everywhere you go, every time you grab your phone, you see your name on the media,” said Alcantara, who will start the series opener against the Astros.

“But you don’t have to think too much about it. Just stay focused on everything you can do. You know, I just came here, and if something happened it just happened. I just keep fighting every day.”

Alcantara described Thursday as “the hardest day I had ever.” He said he spent it at home with family watching MLB Network and “grabbing my phone every two seconds” to see if he had been traded, which he added he fully expected would happen. He was happily surprised it didn’t.

“This is the team that gave me an opportunity in 2018 when I was just a little kid,” he said. “So now growing here in Miami, playing here in Miami, it’s like an hour and 40 minutes from my hometown [Azua, Dominican Republica], so it feels good to be here.”

Added Alcantara, “I thought I was leaving, but I’m happy to be back in Miami. This is my home. I want to stay here. I was just a little nervous [Thursday], but after 6 o’clock, everything just went away.”

How close did Bendix come to actually dealing the 29-year-old Alcantara, who is making $17.3 million this season and next season, with a $21 million team option for 2027?

“I’m not going to comment on any of the specific conversations or negotiations,” Bendix said. “I just felt really comfortable with that decision.”

The Marlins retained a re-energized right-hander who hasn’t allowed a run in his past 12 innings through two starts. He has more strikeouts (eight) than hits allowed (seven) during that span and feels he has finally turned the corner.

“Everything feels way different than the first half [of the season],” Alcantara said. “I think I start getting the right way. So, I just need to keep doing what I’m doing.”

“We’re thrilled to have Sandy here. We know Sandy’s thrilled to still be a Miami Marlin,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “I think that Sandy is continuing the trend, and we’re going to be the beneficiaries of having Sandy for the rest of the season, continuing to get back to the pitcher that we all know that Sandy is.

“For us to have Sandy in our rotation now going forward for the next couple of months is very exciting for us,” McCullough continued. “Not only what he does on the mound, but certainly the impact he has in that clubhouse and his community, and for our fan base.”

However this season ends, Alcantara will finish it not worrying about his future.

This story was originally published August 2, 2025 at 7:50 PM.