This Washington Nationals Trade Idea That Lands Cy Young Ace Would Be a Steal
There are plenty of ways the Washington Nationals can upgrade their roster this offseason.
When looking specifically at the pitching staff, bringing in another top-end starter to this rotation and adding reliable bullpen arms could help them take the next step in their rebuild.
One of the potentially cheaper free agent options just threw a gem in the World Series as he looks like he is returning to the two-time All-Star form he had before undergoing major arm surgery, but there is also a chance the Nationals go after some of the high-profile arms set to hit the market.
If the front office is still hesitant to spend, something that might certainly be the case, then they could turn their attention to landing someone via trade with so many emerging prospects in their farm system.
Someone who would be a very interesting target is Sandy Alcantara, and when looking at what it would take to land the former Cy Young winner, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report put together a trade package that would be a no-brainer to do for Washington.
In his proposal, he has the Nationals giving up outfielder Robert Hassell III and pitcher Jarlin Susana.
Both prospects rank within the top 15 of their pipeline, with Susana being the headliner in this deal at No. 4 and Hassell coming in at No. 13.
What's also interesting is that this duo was acquired from the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto deal back in 2022 that netted Washington a really good return with Mackenzie Gore becoming the ace of their staff, James Wood looking like a potential superstar, and CJ Abrams making his first All-Star team.
Susana was the project of that package, and so far, he's flashed some high-end potential but is still a raw prospect.
Hassell was supposed to be an impact player for Washington, but injuries have really stunted his growth and it now looks like he could be the odd man out when it comes to this outfield group going forward.
If the Miami Marlins are willing to accept this trade proposal, the Nationals should do this in heartbeat.
It was written here at Washington Nationals On SI why they should acquire Alcantara, and even though he had clearly regressed from his 2022 Cy Young-winning campaign during 2023 before he underwent Tommy John surgery in October of that year, he would still bring high-end starting pitching to this rotation.
Across 138 starts and 892.1 innings pitched with the Marlins, he has produced a 3.31 ERA and 130 ERA+ where he has been able to get Major League hitters out at an elite rate without relying on overpowering strikeout stuff.
That bodes well for his recovery from Tommy John surgery, and with Washington needing a right-hander in this rotation to pair with the multiple lefties they have, Alcantara should be someone the front office seriously considers going after.
