The Marlins have a ‘strong possibility’ of moving one of their impact starters according to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic, which should be of interest to the Yankees.
Sources told Empire Sports Media during the deadline that New York and Miami spoke frequently rin the days leading up to the July 31st trade deadline, but neither side obviously completed a deal.
GM Brian Cashman had interest in Edward Cabrera, but recognizing the sky-high prices for a cheap power pitcher, he shifted most of his focus on Sandy Alcantara, whom the organization believed was a rebound candidate.
Both the Yankees and Mets were displaying real interest and were proven right in their belief in Alcantara, who was excellent in the final two months of the season.
With Alcantara and Cabrera potentially back on the market, the Yankees could be one of the teams at the forefront of these sweepstakes.
Why the Yankees Remain in Good Position to Trade For Pitching Talent
The Yankees and Marlins held extensive trade conversations regarding RHP Sandy Alcantara during the trade deadline, which is why a revisiting of that discourse wouldn’t be shocking.
Spencer Jones was a player of interest to the Marlins, sources told Empire Sports Media, but it’s unclear whether Miami’s interest in the left-handed outfield has dwindled at all since there.
What the Yankees do have to offer to a team like the Marlins is controllable starting pitching, with Will Warren, Luis Gil, and Cam Schlittler all being pieces who could attract varying degrees of attention this winter.
I would not anticipate them including Schlittler in a deal for Alcantara, but I would almost certainly bank on the Marlins asking for him if the Yankees inquired about Edward Cabrera.
Other pieces who are of note here include Elmer Rodriguez, Carlos Lagrange, and Ben Hess, all of whom are considered top-five prospects inside the organization.
The Yankees have interest in signing a starter if the prices match up, as sources have confirmed to Empire Sports Media that reports linking them to Tatsuya Imai and Michael King are genuine.
Whether the team ends up paying up for either pitcher remains to be seen, but if the bidding for Cody Bellinger gets crazy, I could see them using their pitching depth to add an impact starter for the top-half of the staff.
I’d expect Alcantara, who has two years of control with the second year being a club option, to be the likelier bet since there are teams such as the Mets, Red Sox, and Dodgers who have more prospect capital to move in a Cabrera trade.
Sandy Alcantara had a 5.36 ERA and 4.28 FIP this past season, but he posted a 3.70 ERA, 3.88 FIP, and 3.51 xFIP following the trade deadline.
He had to shake off rust both with his fastball velocity and command as the expectation for his market is that teams will line up to make significant bids for his services.
Expect the Yankees to call the Marlins with some degree of interest, as people inside the organization expect that they’ll make multiple impactful moves between now and the start of Opening Day.