The Los Angeles Dodgers led the National League West by 3 1/2 games, entering play on Friday.
Their starting rotation is decimated by injuries, and the division just got a lot tougher with the acquisition of Rafael Devers by the San Francisco Giants.
Tyler Glasnow, Rōki Sasaki and Blake Snell are all on the injured list right now.
Shohei Ohtani is not built up to be a contributing member of the starting rotation yet, either. The Dodgers could be in the market for a starting pitcher near the trade deadline as a result.
During a livestream for Bleacher Report, Hall of Famer Pedro Martínez predicted the Dodgers would trade for Sandy Alcántara from the Miami Marlins.
“I know Sandy has not pitched well in (Miami), but believe me, he needs someone he can trust,” Martinez said in the video, which was posted to YouTube.
“I think (Dodgers pitching coach) Mark Prior will be someone who can really relate to Alcántara, and someone who can really help him.”
Alcántara signed a five-year, $56 million extension after the 2021 season. In 2022, he won the National League Cy Young Award, posting a 2.28 ERA and leading baseball in complete games and innings pitched.
However, he struggled in 2023 and missed all of last season after Tommy John surgery.
This season, he has looked far from his All-Star form. He has a 6.88 ERA in 14 starts, but he is starting to hit his stride again.
Since June started, he has a 2.12 ERA and has thrown two quality starts.
His last outing was a five-inning outing against the Philadelphia Phillies, where he allowed just two earned runs.
Snell, Glasnow and Ohtani figure to rejoin the rotation at some point, but there is a less clear timetable for Sasaki. He was just moved to the 60-day injured list and has stopped throwing as he tries to recover.
Adding a player like Alcántara, if he is at his best, would be a key addition for any team.
However, having him next to Snell, Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw and Ohtani in the rotation would give the Dodgers arguably the best rotation in baseball.
