The sneaky trade that could turn Angels into contenders in the AL West

As the Angels desperately try to stay afloat in the American League Wild Card race and, to an extent, the AL West, this trade season is closing in. One way or another, this team is going to have to make a decision about what they want to be. They could take advantage of the market and sell (Taylor Ward could fetch them a nice haul), or they could strike a few deals and go for it.

And if there is one move that no one would be expecting and could genuinely turn this team into contenders, it would be to trade for starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara from the Miami Marlins. And now is the time to do it, before his price goes too far up for the Angels to match.

Alcantara won the Cy Young Award in 2022, posting one of the more dominant seasons we have seen in the last decade from a starting pitcher. He was serviceable in 2023, and missed 2024 after Tommy John surgery. This season, he has posted a disgusting 6.69 ERA in 13 starts. And the Angels should do everything they can to bring him to Anaheim.

While his production has been horrendous, Alcantara's stuff has looked roughly the same as it did in 2022 and 2023, prior to his injury. FIP (Fielding Indepedent Pitching) points to some bad luck making a rough season look worse, as his FIP is a full two points lower than his ERA. So while he has not been good, he also does not deserve to be labeled as one of the worst starters in the MLB as his ERA would indicate.

And over the past month, Alcantara has quietly discovered his old self. In four starts in June, Alcantara has posted a 2.74 ERA, highlighted by six shutout innings earlier this month against the Pittsburgh Pirates. His K/9 is getting closer to his career norm as well, as he posted 7.4 strikeouts per nine innings over the past four starts.

A big three of Jose Soriano, newfound ace Yusei Kikuchi, and Alcantara would strike fear in any opponent the Halos could face in the playoffs. With both of the Angels making cases for the All Star Game next month, the pressure of leading a rotation would not be present for Alcantara.

Parting ways with Caden Dana and another one of their top ten prospects would be easy for the Angels, especially with Alcantara under team control for two more seasons. It would be a move with some definite risks, but with upside that could genuinely change the narrative around the Angels this season and would fit perfectly into their 2026/2027 timeline as well.

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