Marlins in awkward spot with Sandy Alcantara. Plus, Francisco Lindor's leadership rituals

New York Times

4 days ago

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From Cy Young to Sigh Young — what's up with Sandy Alcantara?
Plus: A decision the O's would like back, Francisco Lindor's leadership and Ken's look at Oneil Cruz — I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal. Welcome to The Windup!
The last time Sandy Alcántara pitched a full-full season, he unanimously won the 2022 NL Cy Young Award.
OK, so he did make 28 starts in 2023, but his last one came on Sept. 3. After that, he was added to the injured list with a UCL injury that ultimately led to Tommy John surgery. Adios, 2024.
I know ERA isn't the best stat, but it does sorta illustrate a point here, so …
2022: 2.28
2023: 4.14
2025: 8.47
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That's bleak.
If only there were a simple stat to point to: a release point, a drop in velo or spin rate, an obnoxious voodoo doll in his locker, hissing ancient druid curses.
Nope. As Dennis Lin and Sam Blum point out after last night's poor showing, the velo and pitch shapes are basically the same now as they were before. Maybe that's encouraging. Maybe it just means that last bit of Tommy John recovery is happening a little slower than the Marlins would like.
But it's a bummer, and not just for the 22-32 Marlins' hopes this year. Given their (track) record, the bigger issue might be Alcantara's trade value. Miami could certainly keep the 29-year-old around through his contract, which expires at the end of next year. But it sure would be valuable for a team in quasi-perpetual rebuild mode if they could dangle a Cy Young candidate with a year and a half of team control at this year's deadline.
Instead, they have a guy who has allowed more earned runs than any other pitcher in baseball.
More Marlins: Ronny Simon grateful for support after teary, three-error game: 'I just try to keep working hard'
From my latest story:
If, through some freaky genetic engineering, a scientist could combine the physical attributes of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, what might be the result?
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a member of the New York Yankees in 2022-23, thinks he has the answer. 'If you put 'em both together,' the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop said. 'I feel like it's Oneil Cruz.'
Cruz, the Pirates' 6-foot-7, 240-pound center fielder, was at it again Sunday, hitting a home run 122.9 mph, the hardest-hit ball since Statcast started tracking in 2015. His exit velocities and powerful throws are the stuff of Statcast legend. His speed is pretty much elite, too. And considering he is only 26, in his first full season playing center field and working diligently to master the game's subtleties, heaven knows what he might become.
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Kiner-Falefa, who said Cruz combines the quick twitch and 'missile-like' exit velos of Stanton with the athleticism and power of Judge, has an answer for that, too.
'If he maximizes his potential, he can be one of the best players ever,' Kiner-Falefa said.
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy, after the weekend he just experienced in Pittsburgh, is not about to argue.
Friday night, Cruz hit a 117.9 mph home run, at that point the hardest-hit homer of his career, and a 113.4 blast to tie the score in the ninth inning of a game the Pirates won, 6-5.
Saturday, in a left-on-left matchup against Tyler Alexander, he hit the decisive triple in the seventh inning of a 2-1 Pirates victory.
And Sunday, after righty Logan Henderson allowed Cruz's 122.9 shot on a first-pitch fastball in the third inning, Murphy took no chances in the eighth. With two outs, a 6-5 lead and runner on second, he ordered an intentional walk to Cruz, putting him on base as the potential winning run.
Never mind that Cruz entered the weekend having gone nearly a month without a homer after hitting eight in his first 25 games. Murphy, 66, called it the best physical performance he has seen, by a hitter with the best bat speed he has seen.
'That guy can hit 50 homers easy, 60,' Murphy said.
His current pace is a mere 34. Still, opposing pitchers shudder at the thought of missing with Cruz over the middle of the plate, and not simply because he might deposit the ball in the Allegheny River, as he did for the sixth time in his career Sunday.
A batted ball coming back to the mound at some ridiculous speed is an equally frightening proposition.
'It's something you're definitely cognizant of,' Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen said. 'And you get reminded of things like that after he hits the ball 123.'
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St. Louis Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley jokingly suggested the best option with Cruz might be to just walk him and avoid him entirely.
'Go to first base, dude,' Helsley said, laughing. 'I want to live.'
So, how close is Cruz to realizing his full potential?
More on that here.
Boy, this did not work out well for the Orioles.
Let's set the scene. Kyle Gibson, who turned 37 in October, pitched for the Orioles in 2023 and went 15-9 with a 4.73 ERA in 33 starts. If you're curious, that's the sort of season that's worth 0.7 bWAR.
Last year, he pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals as part of their Rotation of Dads™️, alongside Lance Lynn (37), Miles Mikolas (35) and Sonny Gray (34). He went 8-8 with a 4.24 ERA in 30 starts and was slightly better, value-wise, at 1.0 bWAR.
Then came an offseason of patience. Gibson remained a free agent; the Orioles failed to bolster their rotation, losing Corbin Burnes to the Diamondbacks via free agency. On March 21, the two sides played a classic game of 'Prom is Next Weekend, So … Yeah?' and voila: a one-year deal worth $5.25 million.
Gibson made it to the big leagues on April 29, aaaand yikes. Maybe you heard about that one.
His next three starts weren't much better. A total of 8 2/3 innings, 14 earned runs. He has a 16.78 ERA. The Orioles designated him for assignment on May 18, releasing him on May 20. Yesterday, he signed with the Tampa Bay Rays on a minor-league deal.
But Baltimore is still on the hook for the remainder of his salary this year. Which means the Orioles — who were so reluctant to spend on pitching last offseason — spent $5.25M for 12 1/3 innings, 23 earned runs and -1.1 bWAR.
Not to rub it in, but here are a few free-agent pitchers who signed one-year deals this winter for equal or less money than Gibson's contract:
Now we get to see if the Wonka Chocolate Factory of pitching can get Gibson back on track.
Leadership is a fascinating topic, because it can come in so many different shapes and sizes.
Is it the player who will call out a teammate for a lack of effort? The guy who quietly provides an example by out-working his teammates even after a decade of success? Is it the clubhouse 'glue guy' who keeps things light? The 'extra coach' who helps the younger guys with their mechanics or pitch selection?
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Yes.
But I think there is a common thread: caring about the success of your teammates. Even the uncomfortable conversation about hustle — when done right — comes from a place of wanting success for the teammate (and the team).
Here's a tactic that I haven't heard before, but it falls right in line with that common theme: Will Sammon tells us about Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor's routine of speaking to each one of his teammates after every series.
Sometimes the conversation has real substance. Other times, he's just checking in. The tone is usually encouraging, but there's one thing his teammates seem to agree on: it's not just eyewash. Here, take pitcher Griffin Canning's words over mine:
'He's the first guy I've seen do it. It shows what kind of leader he is. He's in touch and in tune with every single guy in the clubhouse.'
You should read the whole thing; it's a really interesting glimpse into a unique locker room dynamic that seems to be working.
Our All-Quarter Century Team trend has spread to Cincinnati, and I somehow missed our Braves team until just now (you can see all of our AQC teams here).
The Rockies are how bad? Here are nine numbers to quantify the misery.
Astros starter Ronel Blanco will miss the rest of the season. Soooo the Astros are definitely in the market for starting pitching, right?
Camilo Doval is the Giants' closer (again).
The Pirates have been clear: They're not trading Paul Skenes. But given the prospect packages Jim Bowden suggests here … should they?
After a couple months of action, here's Keith Law's revision of his top 50 prospects.
The Angels have DFA'd 2019 batting champ Tim Anderson.
Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Once again, the play Jayson Stark dubbed 'the most whacked-out walk-off hit you will ever see in your life.'
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