Sandy Alcantara has already proven that he can be one of baseball's most durable starting pitchers; however, the Miami Marlins could discover their ace is capable of serving another role without giving up his place in the rotation.

The 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner could realistically fill two roles in one under baseball's evolving pitching strategies, potentially starting him down a path that eventually leads him to become Miami's closer late in his career.

Seriously... It's not that far-fetched.

We could see Alcantara have a significant shift in balance between relief and the rotation in the upcoming campaign. And for the Fish, who finished last season on the outside of the playoffs, looking in, finishing at 80-82, remixing his routine could lead to long-term rewards for Miami.

Alcantara wrapped up 2026 with 214 innings under his belt, topping the Majors while turning in a 13-11 record and a 3.87 ERA. But it was what he did in September that really raised some eyebrows. The righty came out of the bullpen three times and locked down all three save chances, including the final game of the season against Atlanta.

These days, most MLB starters don't stick around long, with managers turning to their bullpens earlier and earlier. Alcantara is still built like an absolute workhorse, but Miami could take advantage of today's game by sneaking him into tough late-game spots between his usual starts.

President of baseball operations Peter Bendix certainly seems open to the thought. At the same time, he's still not committed on whether the team would explore that direction with Alcantara, despite the litmus test the pitcher provided in 2026.

"I have no idea where it goes in the future," Bendix told the Miami Herald at the conclusion of the season. "But it shows innovation of the organization; we continue to be willing to try these things. Willing to try it even though it's nothing that's been done before... Maybe it's something we do a lot. Maybe it's something we never do again."

The concept would require careful management. Alcantara could continue anchoring the rotation while making occasional relief appearances. Such a strategy wouldn't be logical to employ every week, but it could give manager Clayton McCullough another weapon in close games without permanently removing one of his best starters from the rotation.

In other words? It could be a soft transition, with a positive approach and a 'see-how-it-goes' kind of approach. If signs point to it being negative for the hurler or the club, the Fish can always turn back and swim in another direction.

Down the road, this could spell out a feel-good story for Friends of the FIsh, who value Alcanatara as not just a player, but part of the community as well. The 31-year-old has made no secret that he sincerely wants to stay in Miami for good. And, as time goes on, taking on a bullpen role might be the secret to extending his career. Even leading to closing the book on his career by closing out games.