Over the offseason, the Boston Red Sox worked tirelessly to fix their mediocre pitching staff, which proved to be their one glaring weakness in 2024. The Red Sox already have a formidable offense as we witnessed last season, and this sentiment only grows when we factor in a full year of Triston Casas plus the addition of Alex Bregman. However, the Boston pitching staff ranked No. 16 overall (tied with the Cardinals) in ERA, posting an abysmal 4.04 collectively.

Now, it seems Boston’s pitching woes are a thing of the past. Red Sox general manager Craig Breslow brought in Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler and Aroldis Chapman among others to bring much needed stability to their questionable pitching staff. One might argue the addition of Chapman is a strategic mistake, but a rotation featuring Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler and Tanner Houck carries an abundance of potential. Still, with the back end of the rotation in disrepair, there is room for improvement. This may not be the case much longer as one of the game’s most dominant aces in recent memory is soon to grace the trade market.

The name Sandy Alcantara received little buzz during the offseason. The former Cy Young award winner struggled heavily in 2023 before undergoing Tommy John surgery, which kept him on the sidelines for all of last year. Beyond concerns of regression or health, there was little reason to speculate on Alcantara’s availability given that he was assured of starting the season in a Miami Marlins jersey. But with Miami’s ongoing rebuild and money owed to Alcantara over the next few seasons, an Alcantara trade at — or before — the deadline is almost a forgone conclusion.

While Alcantara’s name had been largely overlooked, his spectacular first spring training outing ignited a whirlwind of rumors. With the Marlins’ ace showcasing his talent in vintage form, trade buzz surrounding Alcantara grows louder with every pitch.

On the forefront of these rumors stands Boston. The Red Sox seem like perfect suitors given their needs, their incredibly bountiful farm system and their ownership group’s deep pockets. Even after the Crochet trade took scores of talent from Boston, their farm system still ranks among the best in the game.

The Crochet trade took two of the MLB’s top 100 prospects from the Red Sox along with two of their other top 15 prospects in an extensive haul for just one pitcher. However, history shows the Marlins haven’t been as demanding. That said, Alcantara — who is under club control through 2027, and has a club option that year — will still command a hefty price. What would a trade look like?

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The Marlins-Red Sox trade proposal lands another hurler in Boston

Unlike any player from the package sent to the White Sox for Crochet, Wilyer Abreu has already achieved some success on the Major League level. A former top 30 prospect from the Red Sox farm system, Abreu finished sixth in the AL ROY race, posting a .253/.322/.459/.781 slash line with 15 home runs in 399 at-bats. But this only half the story. Abreu showed exceptional instincts in right field, winning his first Gold Glove.

Normally, a player with a rookie campaign like Abreu’s would be a keeper. However, with Roman Anthony waiting in the wings, the Red Sox have some incentive to make changes in the outfield. Another outfield option is Kristian Campbell. Moving Cambell to an outfield spot instead of keeping him on the infield would allow the Red Sox to keep Masataka Yoshida in the DH slot (when he is well) and let Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman play on the infield.

Also leaving Beantown would be Marcelo Mayer. Currently Boston’s No. 3 prospect, Mayer is blocked from promotion by Boston’s packed infield. Mayer hasn’t yet played at the Triple-A level (despite promotion to Triple-A), but he has excelled in Double-A and is expected to make his debut this year. He is seen as an impact bat with decent power and a solid glove. Despite being a touted prospect, the Red Sox held onto during their Garrett Crochet negotiations, there have been concerns about his durability. This might provide Boston a reason to mull involving him in a trade.

Lastly, headed to Miami would be Mikey Romero. Currently Boston’s number 11 prospect, Romero has shown exceptional promise in the minors. He is regarded as a “high IQ” player with decent power to all fields though he pulls the ball more often. Like Mayer, Romero also carries some injury worries but his talent should make any risk/reward scenario favorable.