The Chicago Cubs are 33-21 to start the season, leading the National League Central by three games over the St. Louis Cardinals. No team besides the Pittsburgh Pirates is really out of the NL Central race, but the Cubs have the opportunity to really run away with it.
The Cubs' rotation has lost Justin Steele for the season, and their starters have a 4.01 ERA this year. The rotation needs help, and BALLCAP Sports' Jim Riley predicted they would trade for Sandy Alcántara of the Miami Marlins.
"I think it's the Chicago Cubs," Riley said of which team he thinks will land Alcántara. "The Cubs need to be aggressive and really go for it. This may be the only year they have Kyle Tucker. Now I expect the Cubs to compete for several years down the line, and that's great because you have Sandy for a couple more seasons after this. For this year, being in the position they are at the top of the central, they need to go for more pitching."
Alcántara signed a five-year, $56 million contract before the 2022 season. He won the National League Cy Young Award that year, but has struggled to be the same player since. He struggled in 2023 and missed all of last season due to Tommy John surgery.
This year, he has an 8.04 ERA and is clearly fighting his command as he works back from missing an entire season. Looking at his current numbers, he is not really worth trading for. However, the Cubs would be banking on the player he has the potential to be.
"The guys that are there right now, the young pitchers, you're seeing some good results," Riley said. "Matthew Boyd's been great. (Shōta) Imanaga should be back. I think he's great, but I need to have another top-of-the-rotation arm in this rotation for my October."
The Marlins are poised to be sellers. Alcántara is under club control through 2027. That, paired with his resume, could be enough for the Marlins to get a decent return despite his struggles.
