Would the Cubs become world series contenders with the acquisition of Marlins Ace Sandy Alcántara?
It’s been speculated that Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara may be made available for trade during this upcoming deadline. With the Marlins seemingly embarking on yet another rebuild, should the Cubs pounce to transform the ceiling of their team overnight?
Raising the ceiling
The Cubs are generally seen as a good but not great club. It is expected that they will win the NL Central, but the division is fairly weak. The Cardinals and Pirates are non-factors, the Reds are interesting but may not be contenders yet, and the Brewers lost some of their best players this offseason. The NL Central is the Cubs for the taking, but why not take the extra step to reach the ultimate goal?
Trading for Alcántara would be expensive but may not necessarily take away much from the present-day squad. It’s likely the Marlins will prefer prospects in the minor leagues as opposed to established major league players. This is because those players have untapped potential and are cost-controlled for longer. The Cubs have numerous prospects that could get a deal done with Miami.
Alcántara looked good in his first start that season against the Pirates. In an opening day win, Alcántara tossed 7 strikeouts in 4.2 innings. It will be interesting to see the workload for the 29-year-old as the season progresses, as he is coming off Tommy John surgery. But he looks to be fully healed and healthy after taking all of 2024 off to recover.
So would the Cubs enter into the same conversation as the Braves, Phillies, Padres, and even Dodgers with this addition?
A good team on paper
First, we need to see how the lineup continues to hit. Last night was a great indicator that the Cubs have an offense that can be one of the best in the majors. With a mix of established veterans, exciting youngsters, and a boost from a superstar, the cubs feature their best lineup since the heydays of the world series teams.
Adding a talent like Alcántara would be enough to raise the ceiling of any team. But it takes a team like the Cubs to a whole other level. His presence would give the Cubs a true weapon every five days.
The pitching staff would be in a tremendous spot. The Cubs currently have two ace-caliber pitchers in Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga. While both pitchers are very good, they would be even more dangerous as the 2-3 in the rotation. With Alcántara as the clear one, the Cubs would have three borderline ace pitchers on their staff. With the likes of the Dodgers and Phillies posting a similar strength, it puts the Cubs within their vicinity in terms of rotational depth.
So would the Cubs become World Series contenders with the addition of Alcántara? In short, the answer is yes if their line-up shows the kind of progression most are expecting. Alcantara would be the second true superstar added by the Cubs in a span of five months.
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