Cubs once again have a path toward popular trade deadline target after Marlins' skid

After years of back-and-forth trade talks, the Chicago Cubs and Miami Marlins came together on a deal during the offseason involving Edward Cabrera. Cabrera and Sandy Alcantara have been two pitchers the Cubs have been obsessed with for quite some time, and while the initial returns on the Cabrera trade don't look great, the Cubs might return to trade talks with the Marlins before the 2026 trade deadline.

Earlier this season, the Marlins had the impression of being a buyer at the deadline. The month of July has changed that tune. The Marlins entered Sunday with an 11-game losing streak, and 9.5 games out of first place in the National League East. They remain within three games of the final Wild Card spot, but the losing streak may have opened the door to Alcantara once again becoming available.

Cubs Rumors: Sandy Alcantara's name surfaces just before the trade deadline

North Side Baseball's Matthew Trueblood reports that Alcantara is among the pitchers the Cubs have considered leading up to this year's deadline. Trueblood notes that the Marlins' asking price for Alcantara almost certainly has come down from where it was last summer, and if the Cubs take on most of his remaining contract, the price could be even lower. Alcantara also has a $21 million club option for the 2027 season.

It would also seem that there's clarity on the type of pitcher Alcantara is after his recovery from Tommy John surgery. He's not quite the Cy Young winner he once was, and how the Marlins were previously selling him as, but he's proven dependable this season. He's made 22 starts, totaling over 143 innings pitched, posting an ERA of 4.01. His fastball still sits in the upper-90s but his strikeout rate has hovered around 19% the last two years.

Part of the allure in the Cubs chasing Alcantara over the past year has been the idea of getting him into the rotation while he ascends back toward being a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher. That outlook likely has changed. Alcantara may never be the ace that he once was, and given how things have gone with Cabrera this season, it would be foolish to believe the Cubs' plan for getting him back on track would work.

Some trade rumors are better off in the past, and this feels like one of them. There was a time when Alcantara would have been terrific addition for the Cubs, but that's now in the rearview mirror.

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