Feb 28, 2025; Jupiter, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Sandy Alcantara (22) looks on against the Atlanta Braves during the second inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

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“This is Laughable” – Baseball World Unites in Ridiculing ‘Overpay’ Mock Trade Sending Cy Young Winner to Yankees

"Should be a federal crime to propose this trade even as a joke"

Gerrit Cole is injured and missing the entire season. So is Luis Gil, who’s going to miss at least three months. The Yankees’ rotation, initially deemed as one of the best in the league, has quickly fallen to just about average. Naturally, they’re in desperate need of pitching reinforcements, aside from the glaring hole at third base.

Amid all this, a bizarre mock trade proposal has been making the rounds online, and for once, Yankees fans and the rest of baseball seem to agree on something: this is an overpay.

Yankees mock trade for Sandy Alcantara

The suggested deal would send Sandy Alcantara to the Yankees in exchange for rookie pitcher Will Warren, outfield prospect Spencer Jones, and versatile 19-year-old infielder George Lombard Jr. Miami trading their ace by the trade deadline isn’t entirely out of the question. Notably, he’s also coming off Tommy John surgery. But the price tag would be steep. The Marlins, well aware of the Yankees’ desperation, could easily demand Jasson Domínguez or another top-five prospect in any potential deal.

The Yankees and Marlins have a history of making blockbuster trades, with the most notable being the Giancarlo Stanton deal in 2017. But Alcantara’s situation is different. The 2022 Cy Young winner is under a team-friendly contract, making just $17.3 million per year through 2026, with a $21 million club option for 2027. The Marlins, despite their tendency to sell off talent, have no real reason to move him unless they get a massive return.

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Even if Miami were willing to listen, the Yankees’ farm system might not have enough to get it done without gutting what little prospect depth they have left. Jasson Domínguez is their only top-100 prospect at No. 21, while Lombard, Jones, Ben Hess, and Warren – all promising young players – sit outside that list. In the eyes of both Yankees fans and outside observers, giving up multiple key pieces for a pitcher coming off a major surgery isn’t just a risk, it’s reckless.

So, predictably, this proposal was met with near-universal ridicule. Yankees fans called it an unnecessary gutting of the farm system, while others laughed at the idea that Miami would even consider such a package. Some couldn’t believe that a deal where neither side ends up happy was even being discussed.

Absolutely not… losing Cole is tough but it isn’t bad enough to Gut 2 of our top 5 and a top 15 prospect
— Justin H (@Rusty_Rakes94) March 12, 2025

Should be a federal crime to propose this trade even as a joke
— Random (@xitfirst) March 12, 2025

Way to much for a pitcher that tends to get hurt
— Bates (@SportsLoungeCB) March 12, 2025

0 top 100 prospects for one of the best pitchers in MLB on a team friendly contract omfg 🤣🤣🤣🤣
— Kevin (@MetsLife1229) March 12, 2025

This would be an overpay
— Black Dick Butkus (@BlackDickButkus) March 13, 2025

How about no .. you keep trading away your future
— Mosthatedyankeefan (@Mosthatedyanke1) March 12, 2025

At the end of the day, Alcantara would be an ideal Cole replacement, but his health is a major concern. And without other viable rotation options emerging, maybe it’s time for the Yankees to accept the reality of 2025, a transition year that risks wasting another season of Aaron Judge’s prime.

Marlins

Mock trade

Sandy Alcantara

Yankees

Mohsin Baldiwala

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Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.