Marlins’ 29-Year-Old Standout in Limbo as Sandy Alcantara Trade Snag Complicates Plans

4 min read

The Miami Marlins came into July with a clear plan—flip some of their valuable assets and revise their strategy. And at the center of that plan was Sandy Alcantara. The former Cy Young winner who was supposed to headline their trade block. But here is the kicker—what happens when your centerpiece is failing to stay afloat?

This is exactly what the Miami front office faces now. Alcantara in 2025 is far from the reflection of his earlier self. Since returning from his Tommy John surgery, he has stumbled to a 7.14 ERA and a 1.495 WHIP. So at this point, his value has plummeted, and teams around the league are no longer looking at him as a stretch run ace. He is more like a winter project now.

Bob Nightengale earlier this week mentioned, “The Marlins may have no choice now but to hang onto him and shop him again this winter.” Suddenly, the Marlins’ ambitious trade plan came to a halt. And hence, Miami might be forced to pivot and let go of another player. The name—Dane Myers.

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Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported, “Center fielder Dane Myers, 29, is another name to add to the list of Marlins who could go.” The 29-year-old center fielder isn’t exactly a household name, but he is quietly building his name as a solid contributor on both sides of the ball. He is a defender with seven defensive runs saved and holds a .878 OPS against lefties in 163 career plate appearances. So these numbers have already turned eyeballs from the league towards him.

From opening day through mid-June, Dane Myers has undoubtedly been Miami’s most reliable player. His slash line of .264/.309/.355 is not eye-watering, but he has made up for it with his speed and his knack for timely plays. This is a quality that many teams would look for; however, Ken Rosenthal also highlighted that the Marlins are not going to part with him easily. It’s true because he commands a low salary and is under a four-year club control. Still, with Jacob Marsee tearing it up in Triple-A, the club now does have a fallback.

Now with the rotation market shrinking and Alcantara’s trade value shaking, Miami may not have the luxury to wait. So Myers, once untouchable, could be the piece that they use. While Myers is drawing interest, he’s not the only name getting heat in Miami’s corner. Another Miami Marlins bat is drawing attention both on the field and in the trade chatter. No, it’s not just Edward Cabrera but another player.

Will the Miami Marlins trade Kyle Stowers?

The Miami Marlins have been quietly one of the hottest teams in baseball lately. They are going 22-12 over their 34 games. That unexpected surge has given them a faint but flickering presence in the NL Wild Card picture. However hot or not, they are to stay active at the trade deadline, and that brings us to Kyle Stowers. The outfielder is a recent All-Star and is one of the most talked-about players on the Marlins’ roster and trade market. Jim Bowden of the Athletic even floated the idea that Miami could move Stowers for the right price, and for him, the one team interested or that makes sense would be the Kansas City Royals. And that honestly tracks.

The Royals right now are starving for outfield production. None of their starters has even a .700 OPS. And outside of Bobby Witt Jr., the Kansas lineup has been kind of barren. Still, it’s going to take more than just interest to get Stowers. His stat line stands at .295/.372/.565, and he has smashed 22 home runs and 61 RBIs through 367 plate appearances in 2025, and the Marlins had just gotten him last summer from the Baltimore Orioles. Plus, he is under team control through 2029.

So while Stowers might not be the prototype piece for a team that’s still shaping its long-term future, Miami might not see him as expendable. He might be the kind of hitter they build around. Could someone give them a they can’t say no ” offer? Sure! But unless that happens, Stowers might be far from packing bags from Miami now.

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