Over the offseason, the Boston Red Sox worked tirelessly to fix their mediocre pitching staff, which proved to be their one glaring weakness in 2024. The Red Sox already have a formidable offense as we witnessed last season, and this sentiment only grows when we factor in a full year of Triston Casas plus the addition of Alex Bregman. However, the Boston pitching staff ranked No. 16 overall (tied with the Cardinals) in ERA, posting an abysmal 4.04 collectively.
Now, it seems Boston’s pitching woes are a thing of the past. Red Sox general manager Craig Breslow brought in Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler and Aroldis Chapman among others to bring much needed stability to their questionable pitching staff. One might argue the addition of Chapman is a strategic mistake, but a rotation featuring Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler and Tanner Houck carries an abundance of potential. Still, with the back end of the rotation in disrepair, there is room for improvement. This may not be the case much longer as one of the game’s most dominant aces in recent memory is soon to grace the trade market.
The name Sandy Alcantara received little buzz during the offseason. The former Cy Young award winner struggled heavily in 2023 before undergoing Tommy John surgery, which kept him on the sidelines for all of last year. Beyond concerns of regression or health, there was little reason to speculate on Alcantara’s availability given that he was assured of starting the season in a Miami Marlins jersey. But with Miami’s ongoing rebuild and money owed to Alcantara over the next few seasons, an Alcantara trade at — or before — the deadline is almost a forgone conclusion.
While Alcantara’s name had been largely overlooked, his spectacular first spring training outing ignited a whirlwind of rumors. With the Marlins’ ace showcasing his talent in vintage form, trade buzz surrounding Alcantara grows louder with every pitch.
On the forefront of these rumors stands Boston. The Red Sox seem like perfect suitors given their needs, their incredibly bountiful farm system and their ownership group’s deep pockets. Even after the Crochet trade took scores of talent from Boston, their farm system still ranks among the best in the game.
The Crochet trade took two of the MLB’s top 100 prospects from the Red Sox along with two of their other top 15 prospects in an extensive haul for just one pitcher. However, history shows the Marlins haven’t been as demanding. That said, Alcantara — who is under club control through 2027, and has a club option that year — will still command a hefty price. What would a trade look like?
