Jesus Luzardo trade grades for Phillies, Marlins
Yesterday at 03:22 PM
The Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins are on two completely different trajectories heading into the 2025 campaign. Their Jesus Luzardo trade further demonstrated exactly what both franchises value most.
The Phillies acquired Luzardo and catcher Paul McIntosh in exchange for prospects Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd. Luzardo will now slot into the middle of Philadelphia’s rotation, while Miami acquired key prospect capital.
It’s rare to see a player of Luzardo’s status traded between two teams within the same division. However, the Phillies are trying to make a push for the World Series. The Marlins, on the other hand, are in the midst of an aggressive rebuild and are looking to add as much future talent as possible.
In terms of 2025 alone, Philadelphia comes out on top simply because Luzardo is a major league player; let alone his stats. However, this trade will shape both franchises well beyond just 2025.
Phillies’ Jesus Luzardo trade grade
The Phillies ended their 2024 regular season ranked 11th in the league with their 3.85 ERA. They had the eighth-most strikeouts (1,433) and ranked 12th in batting average against (.243). Philadelphia is led by a litany of talented starting pitchers such as Zack Wheeler, Christopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola and Ranger Suarez.
However, the Phillies were in need of a fifth. Taijuan Walker and Andrew Painter were internal options, but they both come with question marks. Walker struggled mightily during the 2024 season while Painter is a top prospect, but working his way back from serious injury. Philadelphia’s Luzardo acquisition provides and answer to the questions and adds a bit more certainty to the rotation.
The lefty had a down year in 2024, struggling to a 5.00 ERA while injuries held him to just 12 starts. However, in 2023, Luzardo proved the the Phillies and MLB what he can be.
Over a career-high 32 starts, Luzardo held a 3.58 ERA and a 208/55 K/BB ratio. Through his 105 career appearances, the left-hander has recorded a 4.29 ERA and a 559/180 K/BB ratio. Alongside his work on the diamond, the Phillies will have Luzardo through the 2027 at arbitration prices.
With the four initial starters already on the roster, Philadelphia had one of the scariest rotations in the league. With Luzardo in tow – assuming he is healthy – there may be no better staff than the Phillies’ entering 2025.
Phillies Trade Grade: A-
Marlins’ Luzardo trade grade
After making the playoffs in 2023, the Marlins decided to make a swift 180. They gutted their front office and brought in new management with a focus on rebuilding. They’ve traded away some of their biggest stars from Jazz Chisholm to Luis Arraez and more recently Jake Burger. Luzardo has now become the latest in what seems like a never-ending line of players dealt out of Miami.
In return, the Marlins received a pair of prospects in Caba and Boyd. Caba is well-regarded around the industry and already ranks as the No. 3 prospect in the organization, via MLB Pipeline. Furthermore, he is the 81 best prospect in all of baseball.
Only 19-years-old, Caba spent the 2024 season between Rookie and Single-A ball. He hit .228 with two home runs, 26 RBI and 50 stolen bases. While he’ll need to get more consistent at the plate, there’s no doubting his speed. Furthermore, he’s still getting acclimated to professional pitching.
If Caba pans out how the Marlins are hoping, he has a chance to be Miami’s shortstop of the future. But that future is in a much further distance. He needs much more seasoning in the minors. And while it seemed inevitable that Luzardo would be traded, the fact that a 19-year-old was the headliner shows that Miami knows their time to compete isn’t coming anytime soon.
The Marlins did a solid job of landing a prospect to build around in the infield. But eventually, they’ll need to go from dealing away talent to winning games on the diamond.
Marlins Trade Grade: B+
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