Sandy Alcantara's $21M Marlins Contract Option Exercised Ahead of MLB Free Agency

Former NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara is staying with the Miami Marlins, at least for now, after having his option for next season picked up.

The Marlins officially announced on Friday they have exercised Alcantara's $21 million team option for 2027.

Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix indicated during his end-of-season press conference on Sept. 29 he was anticipating Alcantara would remain with the club:

"He is so meaningful to this organization and that's not lost on me. Another incredible season. Really fun to watch him pitch, his leadership in the clubhouse, the way he handles himself and the way he sets an example for the rest of the team. It's second to none. It's something that I know Clayton really appreciates and I really appreciate. We value it tremendously."

The Marlins signed Alcantara to a five-year, $56 million extension in December 2021. He was coming off a strong season, then took a huge leap forward in 2022 to become one of the best pitchers in MLB.

Alcantara won the NL Cy Young award in 2022 after posting a 2.28 ERA in an MLB-leading 228.2 innings. His career hit a snag following that season because he struggle in 2023 with a 4.14 ERA before missing all of 2024 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

After posting a career-high 5.36 ERA in 2025, Alcantara got back on track last season. He wasn't back to being a Cy Young contender, but his 3.87 ERA in an MLB-high 214.0 innings was very encouraging.

Even though the Marlins have picked up Alcantara's option, it's not a stretch to think the club could still look to move him before the start of the 2027 season. He received trade interest for him throughout the 2026 campaign, though they reportedly never sought to move him.

Given how tight Marlins ownership tends to be with the payroll, Alcantara's $21 million salary stands out on a roster that doesn't currently project to have another player making more than $5.1 million.

At the end of the 2026 regular season, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported the Marlins don't plan on trading Alcantara this winter.

Alcantara, who will be 31 for most of next season, may not get back to being the ace that he was four years ago, but he remains incredibly valuable because of his ability to eat innings in an era when it's rare for anyone to reach the 200-inning threshold.

Accounting for the fact he missed an entire season, Alcantara still ranks in the top 20 among all starters in innings pitched since 2022.

Assuming the Marlins follow through with their reported stance of not trading him, Alcantara is a huge boost to their rotation because of his ability to take the ball every fifth day and go six quality innings in an era where so few pitchers are even asked to do that much.