Although the MLB trade deadline is still nearly two months away, the Detroit Tigers need to start considering how to address their starting rotation, especially after Jackson Jobe suffered a grade-one flexor strain. With a limited pool of high-quality arms expected to be available, the Tigers should steer clear of aggressively pursuing former Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara.

Alcantara, returning from Tommy John surgery, has struggled significantly, posting a rough 8.47 ERA over 51 innings. While the Marlins haven’t officially put him on the trade block, his continued struggles could eventually push them in that direction.

If Miami does decide to shop Alcantara, they’ll likely want him performing closer to his old self to maximize his value. With two more years of team control, the Marlins may prefer to hold onto him and hope he rebounds. After all, there’s little sense in trading a pitcher who’s currently giving up nearly a run per inning—especially when the return in prospects would be underwhelming.

Trading for Sandy Alcantara moves the needle in the wrong direction for Tigers

Similarly, acquiring Alcantara could do more harm than good for the Tigers, who currently sit atop the American League standings. Given his struggles, he ranks near the bottom among qualified starters in most advanced metrics. Unless there’s a dramatic turnaround, a trade doesn’t make sense for either team.

Detroit already boasts a strong rotation with Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, Reese Olson, and Jack Flaherty. They likely have internal options who could offer more reliable production than what Alcantara brings right now—at no additional cost.

For the Tigers, banking on a turnaround from Alcantara would be a risky move, especially if he’s still underperforming at the deadline. Sure, if he somehow regains his All-Star form, it could look like a genius move—but that’s a long shot.

At this point, Alcantara isn’t worth giving up a top-100 prospect. In fact, Detroit shouldn’t be considering him at all—even if he’s available for a bargain. Unless something changes dramatically, this simply isn’t a fit. Alcantara is not the solution for the Tigers.