Padres get good news on potential Sandy Alcantara trade

With less than a week until the MLB trade deadline, the San Diego Padres have been in multiple rumors. From still trying to land Jarren Duran to expressing interest in trading Dylan Cease, the Padres are involved in a few different rumors.

But, a recent report from Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital is good news for the Padres in their pursuit of Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara. 

"A person very close to Sandy Alcantara told me he'll be traded. 'He's aware he'll be traded and has already packed all his things to leave Miami.'" Gomez reports. "Padres, Cubs, and Blue Jays have reached out to the Marlins to inquire about him."

There are two main points from this report. The first is that Alcantara, one of the most highly regarded starters on the market, despite his struggles this season, is expected to be dealt at the deadline.

Considering there were periods when Alcantara was seemingly not going anywhere, this report from Gomez is a strong indication that he'll be on a new team by the end of the month.

This is good news for the Padres, as Gomez named them as one of three teams that have inquired with the Marlins about his availability. Adding a starter has been a possibility for the Padres, even if the rotation stays as it is right now.

But, with the Cease trade rumors, the Padres could move on from Cease and bring Alcantara in to replace him. It'd be an interesting exchange, considering Cease has pitched better (4.59 ERA) than Alcantara (6.66 ERA) this season.

MORE: Padres 'don't match up' with Red Sox in trade for All-Star MVP

But, with Cease set to be a free agent, and Alcantara under team control through 2027, the Padres could add a more controllable pitcher with a much better resume than Cease.

The former Marlins ace will be a tricky player to trade for, as he's amassed -1.5 WAR this season, significantly lower than the 8.0 WAR he accumulated in his 2022 Cy Young season in Miami.

Alcantara had a 2.28 ERA, a 14-9 record, six complete games, 228.2 innings, and 207 strikeouts en route to an All-Star and Cy Young season. While his 6.66 ERA and 5-9 record in 2025 are bad, the potential he's shown in his career is worth investing in.

The Padres got an up-close view of that potential when, in Alcantara's most recent start, he went seven innings, allowing one unearned run and striking out four against the Padres in what might be his final start as a Marlin.

As the recipients of such a start, the Padres might've seen enough to swing a deal. The Padres are interested in landing Alcantara, and with Gomez's report, the two-time All-Star is trending towards being traded, which is good news for the Padres.

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