When a franchise known more for fire sales than foresight starts drawing questions, you know it’s bad. The Miami Marlins aren’t just losing games—they’re losing the benefit of the doubt. As trade buzz fades and innings pile up, the spotlight isn’t on who’s available, but how he was handled. Somewhere between mismanagement and medical charts, Miami may have fumbled more than just a pitcher’s return.

Sandy Alcantara has not been having a good season. Nothing has been going his way, and even the trade rumors that were running around him have started to die down. But is it his mistake that his performance is not up to the mark? Well, Major League evaluators are not going to blame Alcantara only.

It is mainly up to the player to get in the work and make the comeback at the top level, but it is the job of the team to make sure he is ready for it. In a recent article on The Athletic, they talked about how the evaluators are questioning the Marlins about how they rolled out Alcantara this season. They wrote, “Major-league evaluators expressed concerns with how the Miami Marlins handled the rollout of Alcantara… After not throwing a single major-league pitch last year, he has already logged 104 innings this season… How much does he have left in the tank?”

Sandy Alcantara’s 2025 season has been marred by inconsistency and underperformance for the Miami Marlins. Through 19 starts, he’s recorded a 4–9 record with a lofty 7.14 ERA over 97.0 innings pitched. He’s surrendered 106 hits and 77 earned runs, while striking out just 73 batters. These numbers underscore a sharp departure from his dominant 2022 Cy Young season form.

Despite a recent strong seven‑inning, 98‑pitch performance against the Padres, concerns remain unresolved. In that outing, he allowed just one unearned run with four strikeouts and zero walks. Yet critics argue that one vintage outing does little to offset a season-long ERA over seven. The disparity between that quality start and his broader struggles continues to cast doubt on his reliability.

Evaluators are increasingly wary, contributing to sinking trade interest as the July 31 deadline approaches. With a high ERA and diminished strikeout production, teams appear to be losing faith. Rosenthal’s report that Sandy Alcantara “seems unlikely to move” reflects his eroded market value. Any team pursuing him would be assuming significant risk, betting on a full return to form.

The numbers don’t lie, and neither do front offices when their phones stop ringing. Between the Marlins’ questionable rollout and Alcantara’s inflated ERA, this comeback tour feels more cautionary than redemptive. Teams aren’t just passing on a struggling arm; they’re dodging the long bill that might follow. If this is the Cy Young encore, Miami might want to rewrite the script before the credits roll.

Even the Marlins understand Alcantara’s current worth

When the Marlins start managing expectations instead of market calls, you know the writing’s on the wall. They won’t say it out loud, but even they know Sandy Alcantara isn’t exactly a hot commodity right now. The numbers scream, the evaluators whisper, and the trade market shrugs. What was once a showcase has turned into damage control—and nobody’s pretending otherwise anymore.

Sandy Alcantara’s 2025 season has been a painful echo of post-surgery uncertainty. After missing all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John, he’s returned with diminished sharpness and bloated stats. Across 18 starts, he holds a brutal 7.22 ERA and 1.495 WHIP, showing no signs of command. In his last four outings, he’s posted an 8.61 ERA with 32 hits in just 23 innings.

Those numbers have doused much of the league’s initial trade interest in cold water. Once a prized Cy Young arm, Sandy Alcantara now ranks dead last among starters with 90+ innings. Opponents are batting .315 and slugging .551 off his 97.4 mph fastball. His strikeout numbers (71 in 91 innings) simply don’t match the heat anymore.

For the Marlins, trading him now would be the definition of selling low. With a $17.3 million tag for 2026 and a $21 million option looming, leverage is vanishing. Miami’s asking price clashes with reality, as teams hesitate over risk versus return. Waiting until winter may be the only way to restore value or salvage hope.

It’s no longer about flipping an ace—it’s about flipping the narrative before it crumbles. The Marlins can spin optimism all they want, but rival GMs aren’t buying rehab hype at full price. If Miami truly wants a bidding war, they’ll have to wait until Sandy stops getting hit like a batting practice pitcher. Right now, they’re shopping for a luxury car with a smoking engine—and wondering why no one’s biting.