MLB Rumors: Red Sox Named Potential Landing Spot For Star Pitcher
Sandy Alcantara might be on the market
The Boston Red Sox entered Tuesday 1 1/2 games out of the American League Wild Card and looking for reinforcements. While pitchers Kyle Harrison and Tanner Houck could soon join the team, there’s no such thing as too much pitching.
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan listed the top 50 trade candidates ahead of the 2025 deadline, along with potential landing spots. Among the names listed was Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara. The article gave the righty a 60 percent chance of being traded, and named Boston as a potential landing spot.
Alcantara has made 15 starts this season, but hasn’t quite lived up to the standard he’s set for himself. He currently has a 6.69 ERA with a 17.9% strikeout rate and 10.3% walk rate. The Marlins star missed all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
While his season-long line looks ugly, he’s starting to regain his form. In three starts in June, Alcantara has a 2.74 ERA. His arsenal suggests he can keep that form as well, with some tweaks.
Alcantara still has his velocity. He averages 97 mph with his sinker, and most of its metrics sit around where they were at his best. That’s the foundation for the rest of his pitches, and it’s still solid.
His four-seam has taken a step back. The velocity is still there, but the swinging strike rate has fallen 8.6%. His changeup also hasn’t been as deceptive, which could be in part due to poor fastball locations. Hitters aren’t chasing the slow ball as frequently, leading to a chase rate decrease of 13.3%.
He’s also incorporated more curveballs this year, but an acquiring team may look to cut that from his repertoire because it hasn’t been very effective.
Alcantara isn’t the pitcher he was when he won the 2022 National League Cy Young, but with the right adjustments, he can be a top-of-the-rotation starter. At his best, he’s efficient with his pitches and gets deep into games, something the Red Sox could really use.
Alcantara is in the middle of a five-year, $56 million contract. He will be a free agent after the 2026 season.
