Why Marlins might not trade Sandy Alcantara despite rumors

Why Marlins might not trade Sandy Alcantara despite rumors originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Miami Marlins are 16-19, and looking like clear sellers once the MLB trade deadline comes around this season, barring a strong May, June, and July.

If they do wind up as sellers, Sandy Alcantara will, once again, emerge as their top trade chip. However, after not trading him last year and holding onto him all offseason despite the many rumors, will he actually be on the move this year? The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal highlighted just how the Marlins might decide to keep Alcantara instead of letting him go, despite the many rumors in the last year about the Cy Young winner.

Why Marlins might not trade Sandy Alcantara "The Marlins' younger pitchers are promising," Rosenthal writes. "But as long as the team remains in contention, a trade of Alcantara would send the wrong message. " While Miami isn't a big spender at all, with just $73 million on their estimated payroll this season, the bulk of that is spent on Alcantara.

Moving on from him would lower their payroll even further, and more importantly, it might create a rift between the front office and the players. It's one thing to trade away players at the deadline, but it's another thing to trade the team's best player, and a franchise icon who won a Cy Young and is having another strong season over a year removed from a serious injury. MORE : Pete Crow-Armstrong is still struggling to hit well for the Cubs Trading away Alcantara might be the best path forward from a strictly team-building standpoint.