What would it take for the San Diego Padres to acquire Sandy Alcantara from the Miami Marlins? 

A.J. Preller is never one to be shy about upgrading the San Diego Padres.

The winter was slow to develop, but the Padres have added some veterans in the last few weeks to a solid core group of players.

There is still a sense that he is not done.

Preller and the Padres are always active in the trade market. They seem to be front and center in just about every rumor that is told.

For the Miami Marlins- they are in the midst of yet another rebuild. The team traded Jesus Luzardo this winter as Miami seems destined to remove all high-cost players from the roster. The latest name to come to the attention of the baseball world is Sandy Alcantara.

Jon Morosi expects the #Marlins to listen to trade offers on SP Sandy Alcantara at some point this season, per an MLB Network TV appearance.

Alcantara, 29, is owed $17M in 2025, $17M in 2026, and has a club option for $21M in 2027. pic.twitter.com/a7vkrtZrsK

— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) March 6, 2025

The 29-year-old 2022 N.L. Cy Young award winner missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Alcantara was initially expected back towards May but is throwing in the upper 90s this spring and is ready to contribute now. How many innings you will get out of the Dominican pitcher is unknown, but his upside is sky-high.

Alcantara is under team control through the 2026 season. He will make $17.3 million per season for the next two years and then holds a team option for 2027 at $21 million (or a $2 million buyout). Potentially, you could get three years of control over Alcantara for just over $55 million. That is a pretty good deal if the pitcher returns to form.

This winter, Dylan Cease is a free agent. It seems likely the pitcher will leave San Diego. He is expected to earn upwards of $155-190 million this winter, but the Padres cannot afford to pay him. Michael King may also test the free agent market depending on how his coming season goes. Even though the Padres starting staff is full, an addition of Alcantara makes sense.

Dylan Cease, Michael King, Yu Darvish, and Nick Pivetta are the top four pitchers in the rotation. That leaves Matt Waldron, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito, Stephen Kolek, and Kyle Hart as contenders for the last spot in the starting staff. Alcantara certainly has room to slide into the top of the rotation and solidify the whole group.

The price tag for Alcantara is not cheap. The Padres would need to ante up.

Ethan Salas and Leodalis De Vries should be off the table. The Marlins would likely require multiple players rather than just one or two top guys. The franchise needs help in the future, and they certainly need help to make it through the 2025 season. One hundred sixty-two games are awaiting this “rebuilding” franchise. They need players.

The Padres could offer Waldron, Vasquez, and Brito (two of these pitchers) and dangle Eguy Rosario and potentially Tirso Ornelas. Rosario is out of minor league options and, with the addition of Jose Iglesias this week, seems less and less likely to make the roster come opening day. The right-handed hitter has mashed in his limited opportunities, but he is a third baseman/second baseman, and that is a position the Padres do not need help with.

Ornelas has a great shot to contribute this season but is far from a guarantee of producing. The Padres may be wise to maximize his value now that he is on the cusp of making the major leagues. If Ornelas comes up and fails, he will have virtually no value. There is some intrigue now. If the Padres view his value as “maxed out,” they may choose to move the outfielder.

There are plenty of players the Padres could part with to get a deal done. Preller does not discriminate, and he knows what he has in terms of the upside to his prospects. The Padres could send Miami some lower-tiered arms to offset the loss of Alcantara. There are plenty of names who make sense for the Marlins.

A player like Sandy Alcantara is rare. The Padres may need to really explore this topic.

Trading for Alcantara would solidify next season’s rotation. Joe Musgrove will be back, and teaming him with Pivetta and Darvish gives the Padres a solid core for 2026. King may return, which would only strengthen the group. A trade for Alcantara may be more about the 2026 team than anything else.

Where there is smoke, there is fire.

The Marlins will trade Sandy Alcantara. It could happen before the season starts. They may wait until the trade deadline. But it will happen.

The Padres will be right there in the mix, and if the team is confident his arm is back to form, they will make a competitive offer.

Preller is gonna prell. That is just what he does.

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. James has written about the Padres and their prospects for over a decade. He also writes about San Diego State as well as other local sports. James is the Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.