The Marlins and right-hander Sandy Alcantara have exchanged offers about a possible contract extension, Joel Sherman of The New York Post reports. The latest salvo appears to have come from Alcantara’s representatives at CAA Baseball, who “recently” presented a counter to an earlier Marlins offer.
Sherman reported the item within a larger piece suggesting the the Marlins should actually considering trading Alcantara if they are “overwhelmed” by an offer of young position players, to bolster the team’s overall balance considering that Miami already has several younger arms both on the MLB roster and in the farm system. That said, the extension negotiations are likely not connected to Alcantara’s availability at the trade deadline, given that past reports have suggested the Marlins aren’t interested in moving any of their young, controllable starting pitchers — namely, the trio of Alcantara, Trevor Rogers, and Pablo Lopez.
Alcantara doesn’t reach arbitration eligibility until this winter, so he isn’t eligible for free agency under after the 2024 season. There is therefore no real rush to hammer out a deal immediately, though an extension obviously offers some natural appeal to both sides.
An extension would give Alcantara the first major payday of his professional career. Since he doesn’t turn 26 until September, an extension of even two seasons beyond Miami’s current control would allow him to test free agency heading into his age-31 season, when he could still be at the back edge of his prime. For the Marlins, locking up a talented young pitcher and gaining cost certainty over his arb years could prove to be a bargain, and the team could count on Alcantara as a cornerstone piece as Miami looks to get back into contention.
There would also some symbolism attached to a deal, as the Marlins have yet to hand out a major extension since Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter took over the franchise in late 2017. Miguel Rojas’ two-year, $10.25MM deal in September 2019 represents the only extension of any kind in the Sherman/Jeter era, and it’s fair to say that contract was more about rewarding a team leader than it was looking to the future, not that Rojas hasn’t more than lived up to his end of the deal (and could even be a candidate for another extension). Perhaps even beyond last season’s surprise run to a berth in the expanded playoff field, locking up Alcantara or another young building block would announce to the baseball world that Sherman, Jeter, and general manager Kim Ng are done with rebuilding.
Since the start of the 2019 campaign, Alcantara has a 3.56 ERA, 19.6% strikeout rate, 8.8% walk rate, and 48.4% grounder rate over 359 innings. That is the 17th-highest innings total of any pitcher in that span, and Alcantara’s only injury absence was missing most of August 2020 amidst the Marlins’ COVID outbreak.
This season has seen Alcantara make the changeup a much bigger part of his arsenal, so while he is throwing his sinker (his signature pitch) and his four-seam fastball less often, he has been able to increase his average fastball velocity up to 97.7mph. Alcantara often approached the 100mph threshold as a prospect in the Cardinals’ farm system, though he has only slowly increased his velo over his three full seasons as a big league starter.
Marlins should focus on extending Marte and trying to add this off-season some big name bats. But then again Marlins will be Marlins
They low-balled Marte, he rejected that offer, and now he’s probably gone within the next few days. I can’t see them getting any big-name bats because, as you said, Marlins will be Marlins.
Marlins don’t really need Marte longterm. He’s great, but the Marlins are still a few years off. I don’t consider the Marlins lowball offer a sign of them being cheap; I consider it a sign of them showing patience. I think the Marlins will be competitive in the next 3-5 years. Do you think Marte will still be a top CF at that time? The Marlins clearly don’t.
They did. They offered 3 years and close to 40 mill and he wanted 4 years $50 MM.
The right move is now to extend our Ace’s.
They offered three years and $30M, less in AAV than what Marte is making this season.
According to Craig Mish, they offered much closer to $40MM. Either way, Marlins should do well with trading Marte especially with what Rays had to pay for a DH, albeit the elite DH.
miamiherald.com/sports/mlb/miami-marlins/article25…
It’s strange that the same story lists both $30 million and $40 million as the Marlins best offer. I guess that’s why these are all rumors from various “sources.”
Regardless, it looks like he’s gone by Friday.
If Marte actually will agree to a 4 year $50 million l think the Marlins should agree. What do the rest of you think?
Agreed
Except Marlins did not want to go 4 years and another 10 million. And I’m ok with that.
However, the Fish better start finding good replacements asap. Fish fans are already impatient af with this regime so they need to execute their plan to perfect. Time is now
Marlins are being smart. They need an entering his prime Alcantara much more than they need an aging Marte. Alcantara is the future, Marte is not. Whoever signs Marte long term will regret it and that’s the last thing Miami, a team at the end of a rebuild, needs. Fans obsession with Marte is puzzling.
Well, he’s still a very good player who would help pretty much any team for the next few seasons, so there’s that.
This is going to be kind of a long comment, but all are points to consider. Even though I personally have never liked the idea of giving pitchers more than 5 years, I dont think they should trade Alcantara right now. I actually think he has become much better than he was when they first traded for him, when it was questionable if he might be a reliever, and his likely ceiling was a 3rd starter. These last 2 years, he actually looks like a near TOR arm, and he might still not have hit his ceiling, as he looks a lot more comfortable now, and may also be getting stronger the more he throws.
I dont neccesarily agree with the idea the Marlins have a wealth of depth, and should trade pitching for bats just for the sake of doing so. Honestly, I like the idea of continuing to build up, and going for specific opportunities. The Marlins could use a couple of bats, and significant help in the bullpen, and a veteran starter to get them innings. That’s true. That being said, Marte is a good opportunity for them, and they still wont sign him. So, trading him for pieces to help the organization is all that matters, even though I personally would extend him. I personally think pitching is something they need to continue to look to add in the next year or so, as their scouting director also referred to after the draft, and corner bats is also a need, to add to the up the middle athleticism they’ve targeted the last couple of years
That supposed wealth of depth only goes so far. The moment a couple of guys get injured and a couple of guys fall off, what are you left with? This exact thing has happened to the Marlins multiple times in the last several years. Even right now, they have 2 healthy SPs, 1 of which is a rookie. They didnt sign a veteran arm to give them innings, and now they have 3 games out of 5 being started by the bullpen…its a fallacy to think they have enough depth to give away pitching. The Marlins payroll is non existant moving forward. I think it’s better to pay for a couple of bats, a veteran SP, and a couple of bullpen arms, than to trade your affordable SPs. Like, the type of player you’re trying to get back in deals like that is literally Starling Marte, but they’re not even keeping him…All of that being said, I’ve heard the Marlins are supposedly claiming to be doing something “big” in the next few days, whether or not that is separate from Marte, and speculation is they’re going to trade 1 or 2 of Cabrera, Meyer, Eder, McCambley, Eury Perez, Dax Fulton, and I personally think that is a questionable decision, the same way I didnt like a couple of the previous trades they made, outside of the one for Jesus Sanchez…I’ve also heard they’re specifically looking at CF and Catcher for next season, which again, I point to Marte and the likelihood of equaling that production. Regardless, most of the Marlins future offense is still in the lower minor leagues, so the idea of quick fixes by creating depth issues in a supposed area of strength is a questionable decision, at the least…I also question the idea that their biggest issue this year has been bats, when they’ve had the SP issues, and the bullpen has been terrible in any semblance of high leverage situations.
That being said, I think the real play is to keep building up, and do what’s best for the organization long term, which is why I wouldnt move young pitching, unless it’s for something that would really matter, or if you dont believe what we’ve seen from guys like Eder or McCambley is real, and want to cash in on them while you can…Marlins have been connected to Buxton and Mullins. Buxton is a FA, so that makes little sense, if you’re moving Marte, but Mullins feels like such a Marlins type of move, where they give up way too much, which I would prefer not to see
Formelyz, fair point and to some extend valid concerns, I’m a bit more reluctant to trade SP’ers for Bats (like Gallen for Jazz) bc we do have an envious amount of SP talent and depth behind the big 3.
Unfortunately, according to Craig Mish, Marlins offered Marte between $37-39 Mill for 3 years and he turned it down for 4 years at 50.
Although I want Marte, I’m ok with the fish trading him to fill holes in our lineup. Especially at the price of 4 years and $50 MM.
Time is now for the Fish to be ultra aggressive now and set themselves up to continue that aggressiveness and truly begin to put a championship / competitive team as of next year.
Time is now.
WILLING*** not reluctant. Sorry
Yes, agreed formerlyz…..another Pearl of Wisdom from Joel Sherman….hey Joel, why trade him….you NEVER have enough pitching…..
I guess it depends on what arms they trade. To be honest, the real main concern is the Marlins never get value in trades, whether they’re selling or buying. They always end up giving up way too much either way, and I just feel like something like that is coming, but we’ll see. Not sure who their target might be at Catcher, if they’re supposedly looking to have their answer for next year, either in the coming days or the offseason. I could see that having to be a trade target b/c FA options arent much there…
As for Marte, I think they should give him the 4th year. It’s not much in AAV, and they could just trade him with more control, either in the offseason or next year b/c I personally believe a team would take that on if he continues to play like he has, or even a bit less than he has. 4 years/$48-55 million for a star CFer is nothing, even at his current age, which hasnt shown any signs of being an issue…but that’s all a moot point now. One thing I would consider is trading him to replenish depth lost from moving an arm or 2, potentially guys that arent necessarily close to the big leagues, if that’s the best package you could get for him b/c I personally believe you need to get value, if you’re moving him
Again, with what the Rays paid for a 41 year old DH rental, Marlins should very well with a 33 yr old & top 5-10 CF’er in baseball.
I’ve felt for a while that the Jays and Marlins line up as pretty decent trade partners. The Jays have a lot of infield/catching depth and prospects and the Marlins have the aforementioned slew of pitching.
I normally would think the same, even though certain Yankees and Giants fan would apparently disagree, but I also know how the Marlins usually do in trades…
I would try to join another team. Mets will have a stronghold on the division for a few more years
@MetsFan22 Never change. You’re a precious gift.
Lol, a stranglehold on last place maybe!
What happens in the off season when the Mets realize they need to go over the threshold just to tread water? I’m a fan but I see the payroll as unsustainable unless Cohen and Sandy get real creative and trade some contracts for cheaper ones.
Perfect. Get him locked up long term before sending him off to Toronto…
It would be stupid to not extend him. He’s a stud
That’s what they’re doing. Excellent post!
Stupid would be extending a 33 year old CF with no consistent success to a long term deal
” with no consistent success to a long term deal”
I mean the guy is a top 5-10 CF in all of baseball. Plays great defense at a premium position and his offense is more than solid. Almost 3.0 oWar per year. 32.5 WAR overall. in 10 years. Along with a solid 115 career OPS+. This was many of the reasons why Fish offered him a 3 year deal.
How much more consistent success do you need, elgrand?
He’s pretty good I think a 6 year 75 million offer is fair on both ends
This is a spot where the Giants might match up well with the Marlins, if the Marlins are willing to let go of Alcantara. Marlins could see Bart in such a trade along with at least one other top 25-30 prospect.
Another delusional Giants.
Fan