The Chicago Cubs have reportedly been making calls around the league in an effort to kick-start trade discussions with several teams and that includes the Miami Marlins. It’s an open secret at this point, but the Cubs are very much interested in trading for Sandy Alcántara, however, their interest goes beyond the 2022 NL Cy Young award winner. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal says the Cubs are targeting multiple Marlins pitchers at the MLB trade deadline.
In his latest article, Rosenthal examined the Cubs heading into this year’s trade deadline while keeping an eye on the future. The biggest need is of course upgrading the starting rotation and among the potential trade partners, the Marlins present two intriguing starters, who are both under team control for several more years.
Via The Athletic.
The Cubs’ biggest need, after losing left-hander Justin Steele to season-ending elbow surgery and righty Javier Assad to a strained left oblique, is a pitcher who could start a postseason game. That type of pitcher almost certainly will be in scant supply at the deadline. But the Cubs, according to sources briefed on their plans, already are canvassing the market, making inquiries on Miami Marlins right-handers Sandy Alcantara and Edward Cabrera, among many others.
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The Marlins are certain to listen on both pitchers.
I know a lot of Cubs fans have been rolling at their eyes at the thought of trading for either Alcántara or Cabrera, which is understandable when you compare the possibility of Chris Sale potentially be available. Yet, by all indications, the Atlanta Braves aren’t selling Sale this summer and quite frankly there just aren’t that many ace-type pitchers on the trade block.
Alcántara missed all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery and fans have soured on him based on his overall numbers this season. The right-hander has a 6.69 ERA in 15 starts. However, there are definitely positive signs coming from the hard-throwing starter.
Since the calendar flipped to June Alcántara has made four pretty good starts.
June 3 vs. Rockies: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
June: 10 vs. Pirates: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
June 16 vs. Phillies: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
June 22 vs. Braves: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Overall, that’s a 2.74 ERA with three quality starts from Alcántara in the month of June after he began the season with a troubling 8.47 ERA through 11 starts. Is he all the way back? No. He’s not exactly dominating opponents, but he has been limiting hard contact and in turn has been generating good results.
Alcántara is under team control through 2027. He’s making $17 million this year and in 2026 and then has a club option worth $21 million the year after. I wouldn’t hold my breath on a trade happening for Alcántara soon because you’d have to think that the Marlins want him to build up as much value as possible before unloading him to another team. It’s not to say that Miami will hold on to Alcántara through this trade deadline, but because of the team control they’re not stuck in a corner, needing to trade him now.
As for Cabrera, the former top-100 prospect is just now beginning to establish himself in the majors. The 27-year-old has three more years remaining of arbitration. The righty has a 3.81 ERA in 12 starts this season, but since May, Cabrera has taken his game to the next level, recording a 2.23 ERA during his last eight games.
During this current two-month stretch of good ball from Cabrera he’s posted a 26.2 K% while maintaining a walk rate below 10%. It’s a small improvement, but still moving in the right direction after averaging more than five walls per nine innings from 2021-24.
Cabrera dealt with a shoulder early in 2024, but since last year’s All-Star break the right-hander has been solid, posting a 3.69 ERA in 127 innings.
As always, the Cubs will consider the cost of doing business. They certainly have the prospects to get a deal done, but depending on what the Marlins ask for the Cubs could be hesitant at the negotiating table. On the bright side, Jed Hoyer may feel extra motivation to get a trade done this summer to improve the chances of a deep postseason run because he still doesn’t have a contract extension.
Sure, the Cubs have done a good job so far in 2025, but their division lead is slipping away and another failure to reach the playoffs could be the end of Hoyer’s tenure with the Cubs. This team has to make a few moves before the trade deadline passes and while any trade has its risks, Hoyer can’t afford to play it safe in 2025.
