You can never have too much pitching. As a former big-league pitcher himself, Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow knows all too well that pitching wins championships.
Problem is, there are not a lot of quality arms on the market ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline. On top of that, just about every contending team is shopping for a starting pitcher. It’s simple economics: supply and demand.
That puts the Miami Marlins in prime position to wheel and deal, according to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson.
“Will the Marlins deal Sandy Alcantara and (Edward) Cabrera before the July 31 trade deadline? According to a source, Miami is listening on both but would trade either only for good value,” Jackson reported Thursday. “There is no urgency to move either unless it’s an excellent package in return.”
Alcantara and Cabrera are polar opposites this season.
The right-handed Alcantara, who won the National League Cy Young Award in 2022, has struggled since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.
This year, he’s 4-9 with a 7.22 ERA in 18 starts. However Jackson reported “advanced metrics suggest (Alcantara) is pitching much better than this numbers indicate.”
The 29-year-old is on the books for $17.3 million this year and next year, with a $21 million club option for 2027.
Cabrera, 27, is anchoring the Marlins’ rotation this year. He’s 3-4 with a 3.61 ERA in 16 starts.
On top of that, he’s making just $1.95 million this year and has three years of arbitration eligibility remaining, so he can’t reach free agency until 2029. But there’s a catch, according to Jackson.
“Though Cabrera has been brilliant for nearly two months, the Marlins are listening on offers in part because past injury issues must be factored into any long-term decision,” Jackson added.
“Cabrera has been on the injured list 14 times in four-plus seasons, but his latest malady (right posterior elbow discomfort) probably won’t force him to miss a start, manager Clayton McCullough suggested before the All Star break,” Jackson wrote.
The Red Sox are shopping for starting pitching after losing Hunter Dobbins to a season-ending torn ACL. If Boston isn’t willing to bet on Alcantara rebounding and don’t want to give up top prospects for Cabrera, there’s always door No. 3 in Miami.
“The Marlins are very open to moving veteran starter Cal Quantrill,” Jackson reported.
Quantrill, 30, is 3-8 with a 5.62 ERA in 18 starts this season.
The right-hander has trending downward since his breakout season in 2022. That year, he won a career-high 15 games while posting a 3.38 ERA for the Cleveland Guardians.
However Quantrill is making just $3.5 million this year and will be a free agent after the World Series, making him an affordable short-term rental.
