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The Padres are without Yu Darvish for all of 2026. Perhaps a move for a key Marlins starter could work out in their favor.

The San Diego Padres are currently in a solid spot at this point in the season. At the time of this writing, they have a 19-13 record and are second in the National League West standings. They also trail the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers by only a half-game.

With how the Padres have started off this season, it would not be surprising in the slightest if they look to add to their roster between now and the trade deadline. When noting that they are in the same division as the back-to-back reigning World Series champion Dodgers, the Padres should be looking to make upgrades to compete with them.

When looking at the Padres’ roster, one of their biggest needs right now is another star pitcher in their rotation. Due to this, the Padres are now being predicted to land one of baseball’s top trade candidates.

Padres Predicted to Trade for Marlins’ Star Pitcher Sandy Alcantara

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Kerry Miller made eight predictions for the MLB Trade Deadline. The Padres were given one of the biggest predictions, as Miller predicted that they would end up being the team that lands Miami Marlins star pitcher Sandy Alcantara ahead of the trade deadline.

“If the Marlins fall by the wayside as expected, though, it’s less a question of ‘if’Alcantara gets traded and more a question of ‘where.’ Surely, there will be no shortage of interested parties, but look for San Diego’s A.J. Preller to work his deadline magic once again,” Miller wrote.

When noting that the Padres are in desperate need of another star pitcher, it is entirely understandable that they are being predicted to land Alcantara. It is no secret that the Padres are in win-now mode, and bringing in a star pitcher like Alcantara would be big for them because of it.

Alcantara is in the middle of an excellent season with the Marlins, and the truth can be seen with his stats. In seven starts so far this season with the Marlins, he has a 3-2 record, a 3.04 ERA, and 31 strikeouts. With numbers like these, the former Cy Young Award winner would help out the Padres’ pitching rotation tremendously if they acquired him.

If the Padres did land Alcantara from the Marlins, he would be a strong fit for the front half of their rotation.

Alcantara Is a Big Trade Candidate to Watch This Season

When noting that Alcantara is a star pitcher who has been in the rumor mill as a trade candidate for a long time now, there is no question that he is a player to watch as we continue to inch closer to the trade deadline. Given his strong resume, he is exactly the kind of pitcher that shold generate a ton of interest around the league from contenders.

As a result of this, it is clear that the Padres would have a lot of competition if they tried to land Alcantara. It will be intriguing to see if they can strike a deal for him this campaign from here.