How SF Giants can get Gabe Kapler’s Marlins to change their mind about a Sandy Alcantara trade

The SF Giants need to upgrade the pitching staff this offseason. Buster Posey knows that which is why he said it would be a point of emphasis during Tuesday's end-of-season press conference. If the Giants want to go down the trade route, Sandy Alcantara seems like a possibility but the Miami Marlins reportedly are not interested in trading him.

Even though the Marlins were not all that competitive in 2026, apparently they view him as a fixture of the team. President of baseball operations Peter Benedict and general manager Gabe Kapler may not be actively trying to trade Alcantara, but perhaps Posey and Zack Minasian can make it a bit more appetizing. Minasian worked with Kapler back when he was the manager of the Giants and Posey played for Kapler so maybe that familiarity will come in handy.

Alcantara had a 3.87 ERA in 2026. He made 36 starts and pitched a league-high 214 innings. He even had a few appearances as a reliever later in the year when he came in and was used as a closer.

That could give the Giants some different options with Alcantara if they were to swing a deal for him. The most obvious path would be to keep on using him as a starter, but maybe they decide they have a greater need in the bullpen and choose to convert him into a closer.

The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner has a $21 million club option for next season that Miami is expected to pick up. That would be pretty expensive for a closer but after how awful the Giants were at closing out games last season they may need to go the high-priced route.

It would be a risk trading for Alcantara since he’s a free agent after 2027, is 31 years old, and there are no guarantees on what a 2027 season is going to look like with a lockout likely. All this uncertainty could give the Giants a chance to be aggressive, though.

Miami is in need of a corner outfielder or two and maybe the Giants would be willing to part ways with Jung Hoo Lee if it meant they could land an elite pitcher in return. Lee fell off in the second half of 2026 and there are concerns about how valuable he is as a player.

Giants may have to trade Jung Hoo Lee to improve pitching staff

Lee is owed $23,250,000 next year so his salary is somewhat similar to Alcantara’s. Lee has a player option after 2027 so there’s a chance he could rest free agency but at this rate he would probably be wiser to opt in which would guarantee him $51 million over the course of the final two years of his contract.

The Giants would definitely have to throw in some prospects to sweeten the deal a bit, perhaps even someone like Bo Davidson or Parks Harber, but it wouldn’t be the craziest trade in the world. Worst-case scenario, the Giants could trade Alcantara to a contender at the trade deadline in 2027 if they have another bad year and can at least get some prospects for him.

Posey and the front office will have to get creative to improve the pitching staff this offseason so if they’re willing to trade a fan-favorite like Lee and some prospects, maybe they can land a premier arm like Alcantara.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow