Dodgers should stay far away from Marlins ace who could be on the trade block

The Dodgers have a rotation filled with pitchers who have immense upside. There are 29 teams around the league that would love to have such a group, even when you consider how much LA actually paid for it. But, that said, there's a ton of risk here and it's unlikely that the Dodgers will make it through the season without a few injuries.

When Andrew Friedman inevitably looks to make some adjustments and improve the roster later this year, it's possible that he's forced to target a starting pitcher. If and when he does, there's one guy who is more than likely to pop up on most lists of potential trade candidates, assuming he can stay healthy.

But for that exact reason, the Dodgers should be doing everything they can to avoid trading for Marlins' righty Sandy Alcantara. While the 29-year-old is signed to a team-friendly deal that pays him just $34.6 million total over the next two years (and includes a $21 million club option for 2027), there are major questions about how many innings Alcantara will throw in that timeframe.

The Marlins' ace hasn't thrown a pitch in an MLB game since Sept. 3, 2023. He missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and wasn't particularly impressive in basically a full season's worth of work in '23. That year was Alcantara's worst, as he pitched to a 4.14 ERA with an equally poor 4.03 FIP in 184 2/3 innings.

The Dodgers should avoid trading for Marlins' ace Sandy Alcantara at all costs

While it is intriguing to see that Alcantara's velocity has returned, as he's been hitting 98-99 MPH with the four-seamer this spring, that doesn't mean he'll experience early control issues or struggle returning to ace-like form after the reconstructive elbow procedure.

Considering the Dodgers are already rolling the dice with the pair of Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow, and that Blake Snell is regularly unable to withstand the workload of a full major league season, the last thing this team needs is a guy coming off major surgery and who hasn't pitched well in over two years. And that's not even mentioning the fact that the Marlins' asking price is going to be through the roof. We've seen suggestions that the Orioles might have to part with catcher Samuel Basallo in a theoretical trade. Basallo is a top-five prospect in the entire sport, which would be a massive price for any team to pay.

Yes, the Dodgers are coming off a World Series championship, but this team is older than you'd think and regardless of how much money gets spent, the competitive window won't remain open forever. The Dodgers could manage the financial risk associated with Alcantara, but there's too much at stake for this team to feel comfortable taking on yet another injury question mark in the rotation. There are other pitchers out there who fit this team's needs more than Alcantara does, and Friedman would be wise to explore those.