Miami, FL – Sandy Alcantara admitted Thursday was one of the most difficult days of his career, as the Marlins ace endured hours of uncertainty before the MLB trade deadline passed, ultimately keeping him in Miami.
Speculation had persisted all season that the 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner would be moved as part of the Marlins’ ongoing rebuild. As the deadline approached, Alcantara said he was consumed by nerves while watching baseball coverage with his family and repeatedly checking his phone for news.
“It was hard, man,” Alcantara said Friday. “Every time I get on my phone, I see my name. I thought that I was leaving.”
Instead, Miami opted not to trade its star pitcher. The team’s only deadline deal sent its longest-tenured position player, outfielder Jesús Sánchez, to the Houston Astros for right-hander Ryan Gusto and two prospects.
Peter Bendix, Marlins president of baseball operations, confirmed Friday that the club’s recent success influenced its approach. The team has won five consecutive series, went 15-10 in July, and entered Friday just seven games out of the National League’s third wild-card spot at 52-55.
“All of the things that go into building a sustainably successful team were taken into consideration,” Bendix said, stressing the importance of discipline. Manager Clayton McCullough added that unless a deal could “move the needle for us in the near and the long term,” the Marlins were happy to compete with their current group. Bendix declined to comment on how close Miami came to trading Alcantara but noted the team “felt really comfortable” with its decision.
Alcantara, 29, has spent most of his eight-year career in Miami, where he became the first player in franchise history to win the Cy Young Award. After missing the 2024 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, he has struggled to regain his elite form, posting a 6-9 record and a 6.36 ERA in 2025.
However, his two most recent starts signal a potential return to form. He allowed just one run over a season-high seven innings against the San Diego Padres on July 23 before pitching five shutout innings in a win at St. Louis on Tuesday.
“Sandy is continuing to trend,” McCullough said. “And we’re going to continue to be the beneficiaries of having Sandy for the rest of the season, continuing to get back to the pitcher that we all know Sandy is.”
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