3 best trade destinations for Marlins pitcher Jesus Luzardo and what it would cost
If the Miami Marlins deal Jesus Luzardo, teams should be lining up around the block.
The Miami Marlins have discussed trading 26-year-old southpaw Jesus Luzardo, according to MLB insider Jon Morosi. In a saturated trade market, Luzardo stands out because of his age and team-friendly contract. He is arbitration eligible through 2026, meaning three years of team control.
There is no pressure on Miami to trade Luzardo. He's a valuable asset who isn't breaking the bank or threatening to leave. That said, if the Marlins decide to retool the farm system or improve upon last season's middling offense, Luzardo is a golden ticket. He figures to fetch a high price.
Luzardo has a "Median Surplus" value of 63.3 over at Baseball Trade Values (h/t Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller). That places him in roughly the same ballpark as No. 1 MLB prospect Jackson Holliday (68.9). Obviously, the Baltimore Orioles aren't going to part with Holliday. But, a team desperate to improve their rotation could be willing to part with multiple high-level prospects in order to land Luzardo.
The Peru native made 32 starts for Miami last season. He went 10-10, posting a 3.58 ERA and 1.215 WHIP with 208 strikeouts in 178.2 innings pitched. His whiff percentage (31.4) ranked in the MLB's 86th percentile, according to Baseball Savant.
He is already quite good, with a trajectory pointed straight up at the sky. As Luzardo takes the next step toward stardom, these teams would make the most sense.
3. Cubs can add Jesus Luzardo to improve rotation at a discount
The Chicago Cubs' offseason has been disturbingly quiet. Jed Hoyer and the front office managed to lure Craig Counsell away from the Milwaukee Brewers with the biggest manager contract in MLB history. Since then, Chicago has watched Jeimer Candelario walk. The Cubs were never seriously mentioned in connection to Shohei Ohtani or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Cody Bellinger's return is far from a guarantee.
Improving the rotation is paramount for Chicago. Counsell is one of the best bullpen managers in the league, but he can only take spare parts so far. Justin Steele made his first All-Star appearance for the Cubs in 2023, but he's not a proven No. 1 ace at this point. Marcus Stroman, Chicago's other All-Star starter, is almost guaranteed to leave in free agency.
The Cubs should toss money at the likes of Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery, but in lieu of bold free agent maneuvers, Chicago should hammer the trade market. Luzardo is the perfect middleground for Chicago's front office. He's a future All-Star who is projected to make less than $10 million in 2024. He's under team control through 2026, so Chicago can bring him along without fear of departure. For now, at least.
Chicago was a late-season slump away from the playoffs. Luzardo alone might not move the needle a ton, but he would give the Cubs another bankable innings-eater to join the relatively young pitching core of Steele, Jordan Wicks, and Javier Assad. Chicago's primary vet, Jameson Taillon, is under contract through 2026. Steele's team control extends through 2027. The Cubs would at least have a few "set and forget" starters to grow under Counsell.