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The Philadelphia Phillies have added another weapon to their starting rotation, picking up pitcher Jesús Luzardo in a trade with the Miami Marlins, according to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. In exchange, the Marlins “are expected to receive” 19-year-old Starlyn Caba, a shortstop prospect in the upper end of the Phillies’ system, and Emaarion Boyd, an outfielder who played in High-A ball in 2024.
Luzardo only pitched in 12 games this season due to a series of injuries: The lefty starter missed time at the start of the season with elbow tightness, and was placed on IR in June due to a back injury that eventually sidelined him for the rest of the season.
In that short span, Luzardo recorded 58 strikeouts, with an ERA of 5.00 and a WHIP of 1.25.
Luzardo started his career with the Oakland A’s, making his debut in 2019. The Peruvian pitcher was traded to the Marlins in 2021.
Over three and a half seasons in Miami, Luzardo started in 74 games for the Marlins. Although he has been hampered by injuries throughout his time in Miami, Luzardo’s 2023 season proves what he can do when healthy: During that year, he started in 32 games and recorded a 3.58 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP.
Caba was signed by the Phillies in 2023 as a 17-year-old. He played in the Dominican Summer League that year, then in 2024 made it to A-ball after spending half the season in the Florida Coast League. He’s No. 4 on MLB.com’s list of top Phillies prospects, and No. 5 in the Phillies system according to Baseball Prospectus.
While a starting pitcher may not have been an obvious addition for the Phillies, it appears they want to shore up the back of their starting rotation. This trade enables them to trade Taijuan Walker, their No. 5 starter, who has battled major consistency issues over his two years with the team. If Luzardo can get close to the numbers from his breakout 2022 season, he’ll be a solid upgrade to a rotation that includes Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola.
The Phillies have been doing all of their offseason shopping (so far, at least) in the “slightly damaged” aisle of the grocery store. In early December they signed free agent reliever Jordan Romano, who had been one of the game’s best relievers before an elbow injury hobbled his 2024 season, to a one-year, $8.5 million deal. Last week they signed Max Kepler, the former longtime Minnesota Twins outfielder, to a one-year, $10 million contract. Kepler dealt with left patellar tendinitis and a hip issue in 2024, as well as a core muscle problem he had surgically repaired over the last few months.
Now the Phils are taking on Luzardo, whose 2024 was also heavily impacted by injuries. The Phillies apparently have faith that they can get the best out of Luzardo (as well as Romano and Kepler) despite their injuries.
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