Where Alcantara stands and Marlins’ approach with him. And pitching rotation news
The Marlins plan to add a high-leverage reliever this offseason, but the big offseason question about their pitching staff remains the one they faced before the July trade deadline:
Will any team make an offer tempting enough for the Marlins to consider dealing Sandy Alcantara?
In July, the Marlins would have dealt Alcantara only for a enormous package that they could not refuse. It would again take something monumental for the Marlins to move him.
And Alcantara — who missed the 2024 season after Tommy John surgery — has rebuilt his trade value after a dreadful start, producing a 3.13 ERA over his final 12 starts and lowering his ERA from more than 9.00 early in the summer to 5.36 ERA (and an 11-12 record) by the end of the season. By the end of the season, he was beginning to somewhat resemble the 2022 Cy Young winner.
Let’s be clear: The Marlins are not trying to trade Alcantara. They would be content having him anchor their pitching staff next season. But they’ll at least give thought to any offers they consider highly appealing.
Alcantara hopes to stay and was heartened by how he pitched during the final two months of the season.
“I don’t want to say I feel like the 2022 season,” Alcantara said during a conversation at his locker last month. “My arm was completely healthy then. Some days you feel good. Some days you do not. But I’m happy.
“I had a very bad couple months at the start of the season, but I started getting my rhythm. Everything is getting better. I don’t know why it took so long, but I’m doing good.”
And the Marlins and Alcantara expect another jump next year, as the elbow surgery becomes more distant in the rearview mirror.
“Oh yeah,” he said of next year being even closer to the vintage Alcantara. “After this year, my arm is going to feel sore. But I need to take time in the offseason to keep preparing myself.”
What was the pitch that he most struggled to regain after Tommy John?
“Earlier in the season, I didn’t have command with my fastball and my breaking ball,” he said. “But I feel comfortable with them now. It’s back.”
Alcantara will remain coveted in the trade market not only because of his supreme career body of work but also because of a team-friendly contract that will pay him $17 million next season, with a $21 million team option in 2027. That’s good value for an ace.
And if he’s dealt at some point, the Marlins have a would-be ace in Eury Perez, who hit a blip in August in his return from Tommy John surgery but finished with a 4.25 ERA, a 7-6 record and 105 strikeouts in 95 innings.
The Marlins are hopeful that Edward Cabrera, who had a breakout season, has moved past the elbow issue in September and won’t need Tommy John surgery. But anything with an elbow is fluid.
On paper, they have nine potential starters with Alcantara, Perez and Cabrera (who are automatic starters if they’re on the team), Braxton Garrett (coming off elbow surgery that sidelined him all of last season), Max Meyer (coming off June 27 left hip surgery), Ryan Weathers, Janson Junk and two fringe contenders in Ryan Gusto and Adam Mazur.
Meyer was great to start the season, then pitched less effectively as the hip started troubling him. He finished with a 4.73 ERA (and a 3-5 record) in 12 starts, with 68 strikeouts across 64 innings.
Here’s what the Marlins learned about some of the others:
▪ Junk: The 29-year-old right hander, who was designated for assignment by Oakland last September and signed by the Marlins to a minor-league deal in February, was a revelation, finishing with a 4.17 ERA in 21 games and 16 starts.
▪ Gusto: Acquired from Houston for Jesus Sanchez before the July 31 trade deadline, Gusto was hit hard in three starts, allowing 17 runs in 15 2/3 innings.
▪ Mazur: A key piece of the Tanner Scott trade with San Diego, Mazur had a 4.80 ERA in six starts.
The Marlins’ top two pitching prospects, Thomas White and Robby Snelling, are getting closer to the big leagues.
It’s not out of the question that Snelling could win a rotation spot in the spring if he’s great, or if the Marlins have a lot of injuries. But because they already have nine big-league starters on their 40-man roster, the organization also would be fine with him starting the season in the minors.
Snelling had a 2.51 ERA in 25 starts in Double A and Triple A, with 166 strikeouts in 136 innings.
The Marlins expect White, the organization’s top overall prospect, to begin next season at Triple A. The lefty had a 2.31 ERA with 145 strikeouts in 89 1/3 innings at three levels, mostly High A and Double A. He’s a potential future No. 1 starter.
Coming next: A look at the Marlins’ bullpen.
Here’s part 1 of the series on how the Marlins plan to try to augment their lineup, and where they stand at each position.
This story was originally published October 8, 2025 at 1:12 PM.
