Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Braves could still add another starting pitcher before the end of March. But the Braves seem content to see how their young pitchers perform with an opportunity early in 2025.
That doesn't mean, though, that the team couldn't then circle back to make a starting pitcher addition mid-season. Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer suggested the Braves could even make a blockbuster move for a starter during the 2025 campaign.
Rymer named the Braves one of three potential landing spots for Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcántara.
"Even if Alcántara is merely the pitcher he was in 2023, when he had a 4.14 ERA, he'll stand to be a valuable trade chip. If he returns to ace form, that much more so," wrote Rymer.
The Bleacher Report analyst cited a comment from Miami president of baseball operations Peter Bendix as a reason he could be on the move this summer. When asked about Alcántara's long-term future with the Marlins, Benix said:
"We never rule out anything. We listen to everything. Sandy is a really important piece for our organization. I'm really excited to see him pitch on Opening Day."
Alcántara won the National League Cy Young award in 2022 with a 14-9 record, 2.28 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. He led the NL with 228.2 innings and six complete games.
Rymer described that season as an outlier for Alcántara. He went 7-12 with a 4.14 ERA during 2023. Alcántara didn't pitch last season because of Tommy John surgery in Oct. 2023.
Therefore, there would be some risk with acquiring Alcántara right now. But a mid-season acquisition would allow the Braves to see how Alcántara returns from injury.
Maybe more importantly, though, waiting to add a starter will enable the Braves to fully evaluate what they already have in their starting rotation. Chris Sale, Reynaldo López and Spencer Schwellenbach are set to be Atlanta's top three starters to open the season. Relatively unknown commodities Grant Holmes, Ian Anderson and AJ Smith-Shawver are competing for the last couple rotation spots to begin the campaign.
Then maybe by the end of April, Spencer Strider will return to bolster the Braves rotation.
If that rotation lives up to general manager Alex Anthopoulos' confidence, then a trade for any starting pitcher, especially a former Cy Young winner, becomes very unlikely.
In seven MLB seasons, Alcántara is 41-55 with a 3.32 ERA. He's also earned a 1.157 WHIP and posted a 7.9 strikeout per nine innings rate in 146 games.
Other than the Braves, Rymer mentioned the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs as possible landing spots for Alcántara through a trade.