The Marlins were looking to land George Lombard Jr. or Spencer Jones from the Yankees in a Sandy Alcantara trade, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The Yankees naturally balked at moving either of their top prospects, and this gives the kind of idea of the big-ticket return Miami was trying to land for either Alcantara or Edward Cabrera. “No one came especially close” to prying Alcantara away from the Fish, which reflects both the big asking price and the inconsistent numbers the righty has posted (6.36 ERA over 109 innings) in his first season back after rehab from Tommy John surgery.
Other than trading Jesus Sanchez to the Astros and moving depth catcher Nick Fortes to the Rays, it was a quieter deadline than expected from the Marlins, who looked like clear-cut sellers a couple of months ago. However, the team’s plans may have been changed by an unexpected development — winning. A three-game sweep of the Yankees in Miami this weekend brought the Marlins’ record back to 55-55, as the Fish have won 25 of their last 35 games. It is a great sign of progress for the team’s rebuild at the very least, and even a longshot wild card race can’t be ruled out given how well the Marlins have been playing.
Some more from the last few days of NL East news…
- Rafael Montero was the only veteran Atlanta moved at the deadline, as if anything, the Braves focused a lot of attention on adding short-term pitching help to its injury-riddled staff. President of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos told reporters (including the Athletic’s David O’Brien) on Thursday that since his team plans to contend again in 2026, the Braves put a high ask on any player that was controlled beyond the 2025 season. As for impending free agents like Raisel Iglesias and Marcell Ozuna, Anthopoulos said “we weren’t just going to give players away, move guys just to move them or just to dump salary….If we were going to move any player, we were going to have to get something back that we liked.” The executive added that the team didn’t approach Ozuna for his approval about any potential trades, as Ozuna has veto rights as a 10-and-5 player.
- The Mets freed up some 40-man roster space for their deadline additions on Thursday by moving Jesse Winker to the 60-day injured list, which ensures that Winker will be now be out of action until at least September 9. There is concern that Winker’s entire season could be in jeopardy, as president of baseball ops David Stearns told MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo and other reporters that Winker’s back is “frankly not [recovering] at the pace that I think he or we were hoping.” Winker rejoined the Mets on a one-year, $7.5MM free agent deal last winter but he has been limited to 26 games due to an oblique strain and now this back problem, as both injuries landed the veteran on the 60-day IL.
- Sticking with the Mets, the Athletic’s Will Sammon reports that Max Kranick underwent a flexor tendon repair surgery last month, not a Tommy John surgery as was the initial expectation. A TJ procedure would’ve very likely cost Kranick the entire 2026 season, but there is now some improved chance the right-hander might be back on a big league mound before Opening Day 2027. Kranick already underwent a Tommy John surgery in June 2022 that cost him the entire 2023 campaign, and his 2024 work was limited to 70 2/3 innings in the Mets’ farm system. Returning to the bigs this season, Kranick had a 3.65 ERA over 37 innings with New York before arm problems have again put his career on hold.
Braves have a significant interest in avoiding the appearance of tanking, arguably the most of any team. Will that be a good thing for the long-term success of the on-field product, time will tell.
yetipro: Why more than other teams?
Blue – I believe he’s referring to the fact they are the only publicly traded MLB team, and tanking would lead to a significant reduction in revenue along with weak guidance.
Braves have no reason to tank. Main core of players are coming back next year and they will have an intact starting rotation pretty much healthy again. No reason not to be full on competitive in 2026.
SOB, I agree the braves have no reason to tank, tear down or commit to a rebuild, but I do find it puzzling that they were not more active in selling rental pieces this deadline. With how hot the relief market was, I don’t see why Pierce Johnson is still on the team for example.
Right , or Derek Lee who is way under the radar outside of Atlanta. AA must see those two as cogs in next years pen. Perhaps the pure rentals had too much salary left on their contracts to make any fiscal sense for a contender. Iglesias & Ozuna are not on cheap contracts.
Is the term tanking even relevant anymore? No one is guaranteed the top pick based on record anymore.
If any teams would be “tanking” I’d say it would be teams like Colorado, Pittsburgh, etc. Not teams like Atlanta or Baltimore, who have just had horrible seasons and will look to contend next year – they aren’t going through some drastic rebuild, they have solid core players and will either graduate talent or augment with trades and FA signings in the offseason.
base – Everyone has a different definition for tanking.
Most people think it means not trying hard to win now, like with the Red Sox trading Devers for players with little current value and then doing virtually nothing at the trade deadline.
FPG: You don’t think trading for Crochet and signing Bregman and Chapman, then playing better after trading a malcontent plus trading for Dustin May is trying hard to win?
Wow, there’s no pleasing some people.
Blue – Geez, and I thought you were gonna thank me for answering your question about the Braves. Silly me making that assumption.
Look at where the Sox payroll is ranked now, and where their revenue is ranked. Then get back to me.
Someone with a “Fever Pitch” can’t understand that the Red Sox have passed the Yankees in the standings. Nobody in New England could’ve conceived of that on Opening Day.
Chuck – You really need to be clear in your posts, because what you wrote is not clear and does not make any sense.
1) What does passing the Yankees have to do with anything?
2) A portion of the fanbase thought it would happen or at least thought it was possible, including me.
3) Several analysts and media personalities predicted the Sox would win the division.
4) If you don’t understand how injuries can greatly impact a team’s season, there’s not much more I can say that would help
FPG: Because, and you should know this, the Yankees and Red Sox live rent-free in the heads of each other’s fans, and Red Sox fans especially seem to live for the Yankees to lose.
Blue – Yeah I agree there’s a portion like that in each fanbase. To me division rivals are all the same, it’s not like 20 years ago when they were two of the best teams in MLB and had players that were easy to hate. There’s nobody on the Yankees I even dislike, not like the days of Posada and ARod.
And I posted just a few days ago, I’d rather wear Sox gear than anti-Yankees gear …. I’ve always been that way. I think it’s the ones who live right in each city that take it to the extreme.
The Marlins were never getting Lombard or Jones for Alcantara. Sandy’s era this season is over 6. Keep dreamin’ Fish!
Nah, the Yankees would definitely make that trade if given the chance.
The Yankees turned it down obviously
Nah, they offered a 3rd piece but Miami said no.
Bad year for Alcantara this year anyway. Buyer beware, his value probably increases more next season. 3rd piece was probably Cunningham or Hess in a package. Lagrange wasn’t offered though and neither was Arias. Yankees wanna keep those guys.
Cap – Exactly, a team would be foolish to feel confident that Sandy would suddenly turn it around after a trade. Sure it could happen, but it probably won’t.
Fever- just that asking price is insane. Any team would have to have their head examined to do that for Alcantara, since he’s pitched so lousy this season.
Vegas, where do you see that? Whats been reported is that Miami brought up those names and NY backed out
Cap – Agreed, it’s mindboggling when some people value players based on what they were in the distant past and ignore what they’ve been this season. If they play with stocks, they will lose a fortune.
Just common sense. The Yankees would make that move in a heart beat.
Fever, Finally a Sandy related post I can reply to without feeling the need to insult anyone. Yes stock valuations are about seeking to predict future returns.
Anyone using year to date numbers to review a return from serious injury should be laying himself open to very damning criticism.
Several have noted Sandy’s walk rate is extremely high. If you used data from the last 2 months you would see it has returned to normal. His ERA on the year is over 6. His ERA for the last 2 months is 4.5.
His last 2 starts Sandy went 7 innings with no walks and 1 unearned run, followed by a day where not everything was working for him, so he had to change his gameplan and finished with 5 innings and no runs. The kind of adjustment associated with elite pitchers.
Velocity is holding up and command is returning.
On Buy / Hold / Sell recommendations, I would suggest this is a clear Hold
Vegas,
“Just common sense”… oh so nothing? Theres nothing that supports that claim and theres actual evidence that suggests the Yankees backed out after hearing the Marlins say Jones and/or Lombard because no, they would not make that move in a heart beat.
Coming up with your own story on MLBTR to cope with being wrong about your player evals is funny tho
Those are just rumors. The Yankees clearly offered anything they could. Miami said no.
Jon Heyman verbatim said
“Yankees declined to give up either Spencer Jones or George Lombard Jr. for Sandy Alcantara.”
There is nothing to support your claim that it was the other way around. Get over it
They “declined” as in, they declined to offer such a deal because the knew it’d be rejected. So they offered another piece on top of those two. Maybe even a fourth piece. They were ready to trade, but the Marlins knew better.
Love how youre just making stuff up at this point lol You must be awful to hang out with or know personally on any level
“You must be awful to hang out with or know personally on any level”
You had to make this up. At least I’m sticking with the facts.
You listed 0 facts bro😂
It’s a fact the Yankees would’ve offered those players for that pitcher.
No Jones, Lombard, Lagrange were never offered to the Marlins for Alacantara or Cabrera. That’s a fact.
Stop spreading lies.
When Lombard and Jones arrive with impact of Anthony Volpe no one will even remember this story.
Jones is 24 and only just reached AAA. He shows all the signs of an overhyped prospect who ends up a AAAA player, at best. An MiLB HR king every year who gets 50 ABs or so in the majors when someone gets hurt.
How can you say he’s a AAAA player when he hasn’t even been tested in the bigs yet, you seem like you want the big fella to fail
“How can you say that?”
Because he doesn’t make enough contact at the plate. Jones strikes out at an alarming rate in the minors. Doesn’t bode well for sustained success in the majors.
@pjm
I have no idea what Spencer Jones might turn into, and BTW they have wrong SJ linked, but to judge his prospect status in accordance with his age is a faulty conclusion at best. Being 24 at AAA might hold more weight had he been drafted at age 17 or 18 and toiled in the minors for 6 or 7 years, but in SJ’s case, and look no further than Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh for examples of other college prospects that were drafted at the similar age 21 or 22, spent parts of 3 years in the minors and debuted at age 24/25 minors. The two reigning league leaders in bookends each also struggled with high stroke out % in their careers too. But SJ has shown signs of significant improvements this year. His bb/k% last year at AA was 10%/37%. This year his walk rate over AA/AAA spiked up to 13% and his k rate, while still high, dropped from 37% down to 30% overall but in his first 114 AB in AAA it dropped even lower to 24%. And ask that while seeing a huge increase in power production and in contact numbers. His HR:AB jumped from 1:32 @ AA to 1:8 across AA and AAA. Meanwhile his BABIP of .372 has been lower than the .401 of 2024 yet his batting aberration has been. 310 across both AA/AAA. Testing him in the bigs is the next step but so far he’s given the Yanks a lot of reason to value him as an elite prospect.
@lester
You couldn’t said the same thing for Judge and Raleigh coming into the majors.
Even if I understand your ungrammatical comment, you’re still cherry picking.
pardon the typos. how am I cherry picking???
You’re not really, it’s just that people hate Yankees prospects because they’re overrated on the lists
@sad
OH I see… every other team’s prospects are legit but the Yanks are overrated? Despite the recent successes of Gul, Wells, Schmidt, Cortez, Dominguez, Rice, Judge, King, Holmes and Volpe? Even Severino was legit prior to his TJ surgery. All team’s have prospects that are busts. I don’t think the outside evaluator are swayed to overrate anyone.
Bro I tried to alley oop you but you just threw the ball back at my head
Of course the Yankees are not the only team that have overhyped prospects, there’s bias with all of the big media teams and it depends on the person/organization who makes the list
Also saying volpe is a success is absolutely laughable he’s only been good ever since judge went down
Asking for Lombard is preposterous.
The Yankees would of entertained Cunningham or Hess in a package for Sandy or Cabrera. The Fish should of definitely done it. They blew it.
Given how bad he’s pitched and how much he’s owed next year I can guarantee there wasn’t a single team willing to give up that package if they’re over the luxury tax. Why would the Yankees risk paying like 35 million next year for that production?
Alcantara’s salary was known before they started talking. Obviously NY was willing. Why you think the Marlins would ask for less because a team is over the luxury tax is beyond ridiculous.
Just because a team is willing to trade for someone doesn’t mean they didn’t ask the marlins to eat a majority of the money.
Marlins can ask for whatever they want they also got hung up on quickly.
I didn’t say the marlins would ask for less because teams are over luxury tax, but if you think he’s not less valuable to teams over the tax you aren’t nearly as smart as you think you are. Myself and they all the other briallant Ivy League gms look at him as way too big of risk for the amount after taxes given his performance.
Marlins must’ve been looking at his pre TJ numbers and not this year for the packages they were asking.
Than the Yankees will never get Alcantara.
Yankees lowball teams on trade deals.
Marlins are not going to give away Alcantara.
He is coming off major surgery.
He will be ever better next year.
No team was close to dealing for Alcantara because the asking price on a guy with a 6 er that you wouldn’t have been even able to use in the playoffs this year was ridiculous.
I’m of the opinion the marlins should have held onto him but it’s not without risk. He might never return to his old self again and there were a bunch of teams wanting a controllable starter. If they turned down anyone offering a top 100 or near 100 prospect they’re out of their minds.
@ sportsfan
It would be difficult to be worse.
@SportsFan
Think about your logic. We’re not talking about a young guy with a 10 year career ahead of him. Sandy is turning 30 in September and if the Yanks acquire him now it’s with the hopes of him contributing this year old the the other two years of control. However, if he’s performing as the 6 ERA pitcher with the greatly finished K rate, the high walk rate and the inability to miss bats then why epidemic they give away their best prospects. For every pitcher enjoying Jacob deGron tote recover success how many at like Luis Severino or Walker Beuhler where they look? Sandy “only” had 2 years of control but at the expenses of around $35 mil. He’s not worthy of to 100 prospects
getting sandy for two more seasons for Lombard or Jones is pretty fair.
sandy isn’t as bad as he has looked this season (first full season since TJ).
that being said the Yanks have 3 pitchers locked in for next year with colon, fried, gil with Cole likely back by June/July. so paying that price for a 3/4 seems high to the yanks.
they do need to understand however that to get good players, you need to give good players or good prospects. the yanks seem to always try and find the deal where they get top quality and give back second tier talent.
@Money
What reason does any team have to think Sandy will get better? His velocity is better but his walk rate is high and he’s not getting swings and misses. He could rebound like deGrom or he could regress like Severino or Beuhler. And the Yanks are in win now mode. The 2 years of control are great but the Yanks need someone to help now too and Sandy isn’t reliable.
AA “we don’t want to just give players away”. I mean they are FAs in 2 months. So not trying them is kinda like giving them away for nothing IDK
He gets so much credit for all these extensions and half of them or more have been duds.
carlos, that Michael Harris one looks especially bad right now.
horaceallen: Small sample size, but Harris has a .388/.414/.672/1.086 over his last 17 games. Maybe he’s starting to turn it around. Overall, he’s been dreadful, though.
Yeah, I have been keeping an eye on him. Hopefully he can sustain some positivity and maintain a spot in the big leagues.
Which ones have been duds? Acuña? Albies? Riley? Olson? Harris II? Strider? Murphy?
Anybody know how Kelenic is doing in Gwinnet ?? Is he piecing it together and perhaps learning some meditation skills so he’s not so hard on himself?
Murphy is a defensive stud catcher with a 128 OPS+ earning $15 million per year – not a dud.
Olson is a defensive stud with a 134 OPS+ in his time with Atlanta earning $22 million per year – not a dud.
Albies has fallen off a cliff offensively. He’s earning only $7 million per year. Overall, he’s been slightly above average offensively with a good glove. He’s been earning slightly above average money. How is that a dud?
Harris was a mistake but it’s not that bad. He still plays excellent centerfield and earns $8 million. He’s young enough to come back.
The first two have been a bargain. The second two have been questionable but not a disaster.
Honestly, I think Riley is going to wind up a dud for the money. Waaay too inconsistent. Hope he proves me wrong, but sometimes I wish that money was spent elsewhere.
@2029Braves — Asking a poster to be specific with their claims — yeah, I was really trying to get ’em asking for the receipts. lol
I found this to be an interesting question so I looked it up.
According to Fangraphs:
Harris has provided $50.3 million in value since 2023. He’s cost them $18 million. This is the first year his value hasn’t vastly exceeded his salary.
Even with his struggles, Albies has returned $8.4 million in value this year compared to his $7 million salary.
Austin Riley’s overall value exceeds his salary since the extension $74.4 million to $58 million, He is way underwater this year, $13.8 million to $22 million.
@brave — Riley’s first 3 full seasons he averaged 6.0+ bWAR/season. Maybe that incredible 2023 offensive season team-wide where they had 4 guys in the top-12 in MLB (Riley inc.) in games played really has taken its toll on guys. Riley is streaky, I just hope his defense doesn’t go sooner than later. That big body will not age well, but I hope he’s got a few more seasons. That being said, compare Riley’s contract to Devers’s…
Perhaps the Braves extend the Quality Offer to both players and get draft pick compensation in the event either signs elsewhere.
$22 million QO for a cooked Ozuna?
For a guy who can only hit, and he’s not hitting. He’s cooked.
It’s time to part ways with Ozuna.
$22 million for a closer who is having a subpar season at age 35.
-0.3 bWAR. 4.74 ERA
Turns 36 in January
Not happening.
Both player are not eligible
Mike_Divi: QUALIFYING offer.
It really means no one wanted them I’d rather save face and resign them cheap next year as the worst outcome was losing them for nothing either way
Correctomundo flee. Ozuna and Iglesias don’t have much value in trade.
I’m thinking they didn’t have much of a market with their salaries. AA could’ve paid them down to dump for a lotto ticket but it was never going to be much of anything.
Neither of those guys is sniffing a QO
Or teams may have had interest, but the ask was too high.
Some teams weren’t interested in ozuna because of his personal track record. That tanked his value along with his under performance.
The NL should be scared of the marlins since their batting is strong and they have a bunch of pitchers that can do a lot of better
It would be so funny if they won the World Series
Good to see the Marlins rebuild is now producing benefits for Miami fans.
Alcantara will be traded in the offseason to get back players that will keep the Marlins in an upward trojectory.
Even after a first-ever sweep of the Yankees, Miami remains 6 games off the wild card places (and the Marlins would have to leapfrog 3 other teams to get in).
Miami had record attendance for its weekend series with back-t0-back sellouts, something that could be pulled off only with the Yankees in town.
It’s nice to see the Marlins rebuild coming along well, hopefully they keep at it and don’t get rid of half this group already.
Cashman was right to tell the Marlins to shove their trade ideas up their you know what
One of Two future stars for a has been ???
Absurd !
Just like when Cashman told the Tigers the NYY were not interested in Verlander in trade and Verlander was dealt to the Astros where he won another Cy Young Award and a World Series.
Or maybe when Cashman lowballed the Pirates on a certain, young top of the rotation Pirates starter who then was also traded to the Astros to go on winning in Houston.( A certain starting pitcher named Geritt Cole?!).
I don’t remember when Verlander or Cole had 6 era
You comparing sandy to those two ?
HA !
“Future stars”, eh? Like Volpe?
Yankees always have a couple of future stars, stars that are all media hype that fans cling to, and then will be released in 3 years.
They needed a front line starting pitcher.
Sandy isn’t one at the moment.
@knicks
No Sandy was not a Front line starting pitcher.
To the end of May he was not much of a starting pitcher at all. 8.47 ERA
June and July he was a big league starting pitcher. 4.5 ERA.
August and September? Anybody’s guess. My hope is he will be closer to being a front line pitcher again
WRONG Spencer Jones link. I wish they would clear up these stupid incorrect links. Very poor reporting!!!!!
The links are supplied by bots, not the reporters who rely on us to point out the errors
@bill
then maybe they shouldn’t rely on bots?
What was Anthropolous supposed to do, send Ozuna and Iglesias AND most of their left over salary for a couple of lottery tickets? He’s a lot smarter than that.
Yes, that’s precisely what he could have done, because they are only taking up roster spaces at an expensive clip, on a team going nowhere.
Now they get nothing for them after this year. Nothing.
Doesn’t sound “smart” here….
Yeah that was exactly what he was suppose to do.
You’re right, spending more money on them and getting nothing this offseason is better than saving some money and getting some lottery tickets.
To say “A TJ procedure would’ve very likely cost Kranick the entire 2026 season, but there is now some improved chance the right-hander might be back on a big league mound before Opening Day 2027. “ is missing something…
Big gamble by the team and Kranick.
It has happened before with other pitchers who tried this route
and then ended up needing surgery anyways that cost them another year..
Better to get it fixed early rather than mess around with it for another 2-3 years.
AA just trying to be polite. No one wanted a terrible expensive closer and a DH with one leg.
Other teams were smart to not give up top prospects for Alcantra until he proves he’s back. Miami is smart to hold onto him instead of selling low. They will get a good return this off season if he continues to improve like his last two starts.
I forgot Alcantra was traded with Gallen by St. Louis to Marlins. Only team asking Yankees for one of those two top prospects should’ve been Nats in exchange for Gore or D-Backs in exchange for Gallen, if he would agree to sign long term deal with Yankees.
Kranick helped hold it down for the Mets pen when other injuries occurred. Shame he required surgery.