Marlins Make Notable Sandy Alcantara Decision With 2027 in Mind
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I don't think it's a question that Sandy Alcantara is a modern face of the Marlins franchise. He's done everything and more the organization has asked. The Marlins have not made the postseason since 2023, and the past three seasons have been poor for the Marlins franchise. Alcantara has been a mainstay and a true fan favorite.
As the 2026 season comes to a somewhat disappointing ending for the Marlins, the team decided to shift how they will use Alcantara and look toward 2027.
His Usage as the Season Ends
It's been documented about Alcantara's struggles post-Tommy John surgery, and this season has been a full bounceback. For that reason, the Marlins are reducing his role for the weekend. Due to the innings he's logged, manager Clayton McCullough announced Thursday that Alcantara won't make a start this weekend but instead will be used out of the bullpen, per MLB.com. Earlier this month, Alcantara was used in a save situation for the first time in his career.
And yes, Alcantara made some more history, pitching a five-plus inning start, then recording a save, then another five-plus inning start, and then another save. He is the only pitcher to do that since “saves” became an official stat in 1969, according to OptaStats.
It's smart for the Marlins to limit Alcantara's usage in the final three games of the season. They need him fully healthy for 2027, and it would not make sense for the Marlins to compromise any sort of his availability going into next season.
A Big 2027?
The Marlins are going to look to maximize every outing from Alcantara in 2027. It will be his walk year, unless the Marlins decide to extend him once again, which is something they should explore. Otherwise, it's unlikely that he will resign with the team, simply because of the kind of deal a pitcher of his caliber will get in free agency.
The Marlins will be competing next season, the way things looked this season. They hung on all season through some bad series to the very end. Next season, they will look to really compete, and Alcantara will need to be a big part of that. Imagine a big postseason game with Alcantara on the mound in front of the LoanDepot crowd? The atmosphere would be among the best the ballpark has ever seen, especially because he's only appeared in two postseason games in eight seasons with the Marlins, and one was in 2020.
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Matthew is a writer covering the Miami Marlins for On SI. He has experience covering rumors and transactions, as well as editing, for Last Word on Sports, as well as covering MLB labor negotiations and other rumors for DiamondCentric. Matthew is close to completing a bachelor's degree in communications with a minor in sports studies from Manhattanville University.