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Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara may suddenly not be a trade candidate
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- Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara may suddenly not be a trade candidate
Marlins' Sandy Alcantara may suddenly not be a trade candidate appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
For much of the early summer, Sandy Alcantara 's name sat near the top of every contender's dreamboard, a frontline arm whose combination of stuff, durability and contract status made him the kind of trade-deadline swing that could reshape the postseason landscape. Now, that fantasy might be evaporating in real time.
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As June unfolded, the Miami Marlins quietly started looking less like a seller and more like a problem. With Alcantara fronting the rotation alongside Max Meyer and a healthy Eury Pérez , the Marlins suddenly have one of the most formidable starting trios in the National League, a group capable of matching up with anyone in a short series.
Add in an excellent middle infield of Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards , and this roster begins to resemble something far closer to a fringe contender than a teardown candidate.
The real turning point has been the lineup showing signs of life. Kyle Stowers catching fire in June gave Miami something it has lacked for years: a legitimate power threat who can punish mistakes and change an inning with one swing.
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That presence, layered on top of the rotation and the athletic, contact-oriented infield, has helped transform the Marlins into the type of club that feels "greater than the sum of its parts", dangerous in ways box-score scouting can miss.
All of that matters when you zoom out to the deadline calculus. If you're Miami and you suddenly see a path toward meaningful September baseball, the idea of shipping out your best pitcher becomes far less appealing.
Alcantara isn't just an asset; he's the identity of what this team is trying to be. Trading him would signal another reset. Keeping him signals belief that this group, as currently constructed, can punch above its weight.
So while rival executives may still call, the tone around Alcantara has changed. What once looked like one of July's biggest pitching prizes now feels more like the centerpiece of a Marlins team that may decide its best move is to ride the wave rather than cash out.
Related: Marlins league-best June heater is unlike any in MLB history
