Should Marlins listen on Sandy Alcantara despite recent surge?

With Peter Bendix in charge of baseball operations, it's never as simple as "buyer or seller" for the Miami Marlins. The club leads Major League Baseball with 11 wins in June, but the roster is far from perfect and any move the Marlins make will take the long-term consequences into account.

AJ Ramos, Kevin Barral and Isaac Azout discuss what's been working for the Fish lately, the "popularity contest" that is MLB All-Star Game fan voting, factors to consider when negotiating a potential Sandy Alcantara trade and much more.

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In an article for ESPN earlier this week, Jeff Passan estimated that there is a 40% chance of the Marlins trading Alcantara prior to the August 3 deadline. Passan listed the Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres, Athletics, Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers as "best fits" for his services.

The most expensive player on the 2026 Marlins payroll, Alcantara is under control next season via a $21 million club option. He leads MLB in innings pitched and is four strikeouts away from becoming the franchise all-time leader in that category. The right-hander's 4.18 ERA and 3.98 FIP are almost precisely in line with what he did in 2023, though that's a far cry from what the ace of a contending team is expected to produce.

The article also mentioned Marlins relievers Pete Fairbanks, Anthony Bender, Lake Bachar, Michael Petersen, Calvin Faucher and John King as potential trade candidates.

The Marlins return home to loanDepot park on Friday for a six-game homestand against the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers. After that, they'll be precisely halfway through the 2026 regular season.