Hypothetical Trade Destinations for Sandy Alcantara: Will the Yankees Strike a Deal?

The MLB All-Star break is a great time to take stock of teams across the league.

Which clubs will be buyers, and which clubs will be sellers leading up to the MLB trade deadline on July 31st?

Sandy Alcantara is one of the biggest names popping up in trade rumors, as his Miami Marlins (44-51) are expected to shop him this month.

Alcantara took home the 2022 NL Cy Young award in a unanimous vote before missing the entire 2024 season due to undergoing Tommy John surgery. His road to recovery has not been easy, as he's struggled this year with the worst ERA (7.22) among MLB hurlers who have tossed at least 90 innings this season.

That said, he's posted a 3.99 xFIP and a limiting 0.90 HR/9 since the start of June (40 IP). The 29-year-old seems to be hitting his stride and is capable of helping a team out come October.

Which teams could trade for Alcantara? Let's check out some possible trade destinations for the hurler.

Note: Odds are subject to change after this article is published. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise.

Sandy Alcantara Landing Spots

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have been linked to Alcantara for some time now.

Will a deal finally come to fruition this month?

The Cubs went a magnificent 57-39 in the first half. They've been one of the biggest surprises in baseball this season and have a lot going for them, including an offense that is generating the second-most runs per game (5.33), a defense that holds the fourth-best fielding percentage, and a relief unit that ranks sixth in ERA (3.54).

The North Siders' one gaping need: starting pitching.

Chicago has their ace in Shota Imanaga, and Matt Boyd has been incredible in his own right with a 2.34 ERA this season. Even still, the Cubs' rotation ranks just 18th in ERA (4.06), 20th in xFIP (4.21), and 18th in SIERA (4.14).

Only two teams in MLB (Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers) have more wins than the Cubs at the break, yet Chicago currently touts just a one-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.

One move -- or lack thereof -- could determine whether the Cubs are a trifling Wild Card team or among the World Series favorites come October.

We should expect the Cubs to be bold buyers at the deadline. Whether or not Alcantara is the hurler they pick up might be the bigger question. Alcantara is undoubtedly on their radar, but our Skyler Carlin notes the Cubs have leveled up their search and could be in play to acquire Seth Lugo.

New York Yankees

The greedy New York Yankees seem to be an evergreen potential landing spot for sought-after players.

Alcantara is no exception.

When the Yankees started off the season 35-20, it seemed as though they would rule the American League even with Gerrit Cole sidelined for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The landscape has changed since then. New York has a respectable 53-43 record, but that puts them two games behind the Toronto Blue Jays and just one game ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the AL East standings.

Lucky for them, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon -- a pair of 2025 All-Stars -- have been incredible in the rotation. But with Cole and Luis Gil (60-day IL) each sidelined, the Yanks have been left wanting more. Marcus Stroman and Carlos Carrasco have not been reliable members of the rotation, and New York will need to add another starter if they are to feel confident heading into the postseason.

New York's poorly ranked farm system might prevent them from getting the cream of the crop at the deadline. So, whereas the Cubs could seek a bigger move past Alcantara, Miami's hurler could be New York's top target.

Notably, Alcantara's team-friendly contract -- which rolls on into 2026 and includes a club option in 2027 -- makes him less of a rental than some of the other hurlers on the trading block. As such, he could end up being the perfect pickup for a Yankees team that is primed to contend past this season.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays are in a weird spot, but it's a good weird.

Entering the season, Toronto's win total (76.5) was the lowest among AL East teams.

At the All-Star break, they somehow, someway find themself atop the AL East standings with a 55-41 record. We know -- and they know -- the Yankees are lurking, and the BoSox aren't too far behind, either. There's a reason the Jays have +850 odds to win the American League (fourth-shortest), compared to the Yankees at +330.

This all begs the question: will the Blue Jays buy at the deadline? There's reason for Toronto's front office to be aggressive this month, and Alcantara serves as an intriguing high-risk, high-reward option.

Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, and Jose Berrios are doing what they can to hold down the rotation, but the unit ranks a lowly 25th in ERA (4.60) and 23rd in xFIP (4.24) at the break.

It helps to have Max Scherzer back from the injured list, but the 40-year-old isn't getting any younger and Eric Lauer could be better used out of the bullpen.

It might be worthwhile for the Jays to test their luck on Alcantara. With Toronto being one of the few contenders that is playing with house money, nabbing the former Cy Young winner in hopes of making a big push in 2025 while also having team control for the next two years is an interesting proposition.

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