3 Reasons Why Washington Nationals Should Trade for Sandy Alcántara
The Washington Nationals are heading into the offseason looking to improve their team this winter, whether that be in free agency or in the trade market.
For the last number of years, the Nationals have been in a rebuilding process, which basically started after they won the World Series in 2019. Washington has had a lot of the league's top stars on their team within the last decade, like Bryce Harper and Juan Soto. However, keeping those stars has been a challenge.
Now, the Nationals are looking to develop the next Harper or Soto, and they have a lot of talented young players on the team with bright futures. After winning 71 games for the last two years, Washington is certainly hoping that in 2025 they will take a step forward in the win column.
With Patrick Corbin’s poor contract coming off the books, this could be the offseason that the Nationals look to spend again. While upgrading in free agency is a real possibility, they will also be exploring the trade market.
One player who could be an enticing player to pursue is Sandy Alcántara of the Miami Marlins. Here are three reasons why Washington should trade for the former Cy Young Award Winner.
Provides An Ace
Even though there is a lot of young talent on the team, the Nationals have yet to identify if one of their young pitchers will be an ace. As of now, MacKenzie Gore seems like the most likely to be able to reach that mark, but he still has some development to do.
As a former Cy Young Award winner, Alcántara would provide Washington with a clear-cut number one pitcher at the top of the rotation. In a division with Chris Sale and Zack Wheeler, having an ace to battle against those types of talents is going to be important.
Bargain If Healthy
With baseball contracts going through the roof, it is hard to find a bargain nowadays. However, despite being a great pitcher, Alcántara has a very team-friendly deal based on his ability, as he is set to make $17 million in 2025 and 2026, and then has a club option for 2027, which is $21 million.
For a potential ace and top of the rotation pitcher, this deal would be a bargain for Washington and makes him an even more appealing player to pursue. Even though he is coming off Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2024 season, a pitcher of this caliber making under $20 per season is a bargain.
Potentially Ends the Rebuild
Since 2019, the Nationals have been a struggling franchise. Their rebuild has been going well, but rebuilds can be frustrating for a fanbase. However, adding a player like Alcántara would be an indication not only to the team, but to the fans that Washington is ready to compete in the near future.
Having an ace at the top of the rotation would have a solid trickle-down effect on the starting staff, and if the lineup keeps developing, there is a lot to like about the future of the Nationals.
