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By Joey Copponi
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Baltimore Orioles just may be the perfect landing spot for a Cy Young-winning pitcher on the trade market.
With Corbin Burnes testing the free-agent waters, and the Orioles falling back in terms of contending for the 30-year-old's services, the Orioles are in need of an ace at the top of the rotation. Although there are plenty of options among free agents, there may be a cheaper option available via trade.
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"The market for (Sandy) Alcántara will be intriguing to monitor," wrote Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, "The teams that can afford to get in the bidding wars for Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and Blake Snell might not be particularly interested in a guy who might not be the same post-surgery. But teams like the Reds, Tigers and Orioles should be all-in on two or three years of an affordable ace they normally wouldn't be able to sign."
Alcantara missed the entirety of the 2024 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but affordable he is. Alcántara is due $17.3 million in 2025, $17.3 million in 2026 and has a club option for $21 million with a $2 million buyout in 2027. Beyond carrying little-to-no financial consequence, the Orioles have a history of rehabbing pitchers from Tommy John surgery, and are no stranger to doing business with the Miami Marlins.
"If it is the Orioles going back to where they acquired Trevor Rogers a few months ago, we might as well start calling them the Fightin' Tommy Johns." Miller went on to write, "They should have Félix Bautista back at closer by Opening Day, they might get both Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells by the end of the year and it wouldn't be surprising if they re-sign John Means on the cheap as he rehabs from his TJ. Maybe go sign Shane Bieber, too, and just have an entire surgically-repaired pitching staff."
The right hander has posted a 3.14 ERA over his last three full seasons with the Marlins from 2021 to 2023, averaging 31 starts a year, and racking up 559 strikeouts and allowing a .228 batting average against. In his 2022 Cy Young-winning season, he pitched 228 and two thirds innings, pitching six complete games, the most by any National League pitcher since Clayton Kershaw in 2014.
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