The Red Sox are in desperate need of starting pitching depth. Beyond Garrett Crochet, the Sox's starters have struggled mightily to begin the 2025 season while they wait for the returns of Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito and Kutter Crawford.
But even with all of those guys healthy, the Sox could still use some help. This has made them natural candidates for a major fish in the trade market —Sandy Alcantara.
Alcantara is sure to be one of the most sought-after trade targets this year. The 2022 NL Cy Young winner has a blazing fastball and a career 3.34 ERA, but more than anything else, he has a team-friendly contract. He signed a five year, $56 million extension with the Marlins prior to the 2022 season with a club option for 2027. Whoever trades for Alcantara won't just be getting him on a half-year rental, but for up to three years.
MLB Network analysts mentioned the Red Sox as a potential destination for Alcantara thanks to their logjam of position players and farm system depth. It makes a lot of sense, especially since the Marlins have shown their willingness to make a trade early in the season. They made a splash last year when they traded infielder Luis Arraez to the Padres in May.
Red Sox could make blockbuster trade for Marlins' Sandy Alcantara
The biggest downside to trading for Alcantara is the cost. Since he's under team control until 2027 on such a reasonable contract, he's sure to cost a fortune. However, the Red Sox can certainly afford it, especially given that they have more position players than they know what to do with.
That being said, the competition for for Alcantara will be fierce, since he's such a desirable target. The Cubs in particular should be very much involved in the Alcantara sweepstakes, since they recently lost ace Justin Steele for the season. The Cubs also have outstanding farm system depth — but so do the Red Sox. It remains to be seen whether the Red Sox will be able to match the Marlins' asking price.