Phillies acquire Jesus Luzardo from Marlins

Phillies acquire Jesus Luzardo from Marlins

The Miami Marlins traded left-handed starter Jesus Luzardo to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for two prospects, MLB insider Robert Murray of Fansided was among the first to report Sunday.

Marlins beat writer Craig Mish of the Miami Herald first reported that the prospects are Starlyn Caba–a top-85 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline–and Emaarion Boyd.

The Philadelphia Phillies are acquiring Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins, according to a source familiar with the deal.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) December 22, 2024

Marlins will receive Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd for Luzardo per sources.

— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) December 22, 2024

Luzardo, 27, had a frustrating 2024 season. He was limited to just 12 starts after suffering a stress reaction in his back in June, causing him to miss the entire second-half of the season. He earned a 5.00 ERA–to a 4.26 FIP, a sizable difference–with 58 strikeouts (22 walks) in 66.2 innings pitched.

Though nearly half of his earned runs came against the Rays (nine earned in 4.1 IP) and Yankees (7 ER in 4.2 innings), sporting a combined 3.28 ERA across his other 10 starts.

Given his years of control–he has two left–age, situation and skillset, Luzardo made for one of the most attractive arms on the trade market. Starting pitchers have been flying off at premium prices this offseason, and Dave Dombrowski isn’t afraid to gut the farm to maximize his current World Series window.

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Luzardo now joins a formidable rotation spearheaded by Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sanchez. The Phillies have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball, and this further vindicates it. They are over the $301 million “Cohen” luxury tax threshold, so every dollar they spend for the rest of the offseason will be an important one.

As for the Marlins, this signals yet another rebuild. Miami has consistently penny-pinched as one of the MLB’s cheapest organizations and has already sold off Jake Burger earlier this offseason. Only 25 percent of the 2023 postseason roster remain, which shows you how much second-year general manager Peter Bendix is trying to prioritize upside.

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This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.

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