Miami Marlins have to spend Sandy Alcantara's salary and try to win in 2026

If a recent report is accurate, it would appear that Miami Marlins fans might once again be incapable of having nice things.

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Marlins are locked and loaded to move Sandy Alcantara's salary after failing to find an offer to their liking at the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline. In Nightengale's own words, Miami's front office feels "now is the time" for moving the face of the franchise.

Then again, an even more recent report from Bob Nightengale has Marlins owner Bruce Sherman reportedly saying that he "fully expects" Sandy to still be with the team when the season starts. So while on the one hand it appears that Peter Bendix is having way more of those conversations he loves than he did this time a year ago, it also seems that the asking price remains extremely high for the Marlins ace.

That absolutely has to be the case if the Miami Marlins are going to continue to build on the small measure of goodwill they earned from their beleaguered fanbase last season. If Alcantara is traded, it needs to be seen as a massive win. Likely, the kind of win that only happens if some contender loses their ace to either an unfortunate injury or the revelation they "hung out" with Emmanuel Clase too much. Keith Law and Jeff Passan need to fall over themselves laughing at the pilfering that took place of that unfortunate team's system by Bendix's hand, while singing the praises of the Marlins. Nick Pollack had better need an hour on his next Pitcher List pod to wax poetic about the arm talent coming back. Don't even get Just Baseball started on the hit tool of whatever MLB ready rookie cornerman will be cracking the Opening Day roster.

You get the picture. If the Marlins deal Sandy, it needs to be all about the talent. Not one iota about lessening Miami's total financial obligations in 2026. For even if Bendix and his staff do have some concerns about Alcantara having fully turned the corner from his uneven 2025 season, you can rest assured that isn't the prevailing sentiment among the fans. The man is Marlins royalty.

That being said, you'll notice I did only refer to total Marlins salary obligations when I spoke of trading Alcantara.

Based on how the Marlins have historically operated, and what their other pitchers have proven in the big leagues to this point, I'll confess to finding it extremely unlikely that there is a path to them being competitive in 2026 that doesn't include Sandy Alcantara being an ace for them. However, it's certainly not impossible. Maybe all the talent Bendix gets in return for Alcantara is MLB ready. Maybe it isn't quite there yet. The most likely scenario is that it's a bit of both. Perhaps a high leverage reliever tags along with some wunderkind shortstop still in shock about passing their driving test. Perhaps a bounceback veteran first or third baseman is paired with an elite pitching prospect that won't see AA until 2027 at the earliest. The best case scenario of either of those transactions, as well as a Eury Perez and Robby Snelling breakout, could pay huge dividends for Miami.

Of course, the true best case scenario is all of that happens along with the continued presence of Alcantara leading the way. Yet if that's not possible, it is imperative that the Marlins are seen to be immediately investing any financial savings from unloading his contract back into payroll. Fans will be much more forgiving if Miami trades Alcantara for a bunch of rookies...if they then turnaround and sign Edwin Diaz or Devin Williams. If the team pockets the savings to help cover the tab for off the field improvements though? Not so much. At the very least, many a season ticket buyer might be willing to settle for someobody already with the team getting that money and then some via an early extension.

Bottom-line? Every penny of Sandy Alcantara's 2026 salary needs to be accounted for on the Marlins Opening Day active payroll. Ideally, it's because Alcantara is taking the mound that day to start earning it. If not though, it needs to being earned by a roster that even the most cynical of Marlins fans believes has a reasonable chance to improve upon last season's finish.

Because if not...the organization's fans might not ever forgive them.