MLB Rumors: 3 teams that should outbid Padres for Jesus Luzardo

Well, it looks like the hot stove is heating up pretty quickly into the season. At least quicker than normal. The Miami Marlins are off to a winless start, and rumors are already swirling about teams chomping at the bit to get their best players.

As of now, the Padres are the team being named as the interested party. It makes some sense for them to target left-handed hurler Jesus Luzardo, given that they are right-handed heavy at the top of the rotation and they lost Blake Snell to free agency in the offseason. They already traded for Dylan Cease, so acquiring a younger pitcher with more control will likely take more in terms of capital, so it would be interesting to see if they have the ammunition.

But given those two factors, that Luzardo is 26 and isn't a free agent until 2027, there's bound to be more than one suitor for his services, and maybe some teams that are a little more desperate to get a pitcher of his caliber. A lefty that throws mid-90s and strikes out 10.5 batters per nine is going to be a very popular player.

So, who are the teams that should go and outbid the Padres for Luzardo?

3. Chicago Cubs

The NL Central is wide open and has been a division that had many different preseason picks to win it. The Chicago Cubs are firmly in the running, but after losing ace Justin Steele to an injury, they're going to need arms. Steele injured his hamstring on Opening Day, and while there's not a specific timetable for hamstrings, he hit the IL.

Obviously, losing a top-five Cy Young finisher would be a big blow to any team. The Cubs are going to rely on Shota Imanaga, who they signed out of Japan over the winter, as well as an aging Kyle Hendricks. Imanaga had an impressive debut, but they're going to need more stable arms in the event that Steele is out for a long period of time.

Chicago does have some prospect capital they can move, especially given that it will likely take a lot to get Luzardo. I'm not saying guys like Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cade Horton will be in a potential deal, but the package will probably have to be big.

2. New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are another team that needs arms with an ace on the IL. Gerrit Cole's elbow injury landed him on the 60-Day IL to begin the season, leaving the rotation in the hands of Carlos Rodon coming off of an injury-riddled season, and Nestor Cortes, who made 12 poor starts in 2023.

Luzardo could provide some innings stability for the Yankees with Cole out, which is something they desperately need. Through two starts, Cortes has thrown ten innings and allowed seven runs while only striking out seven batters. While Rodon has looked much better than he did in 2023, he's never been the most reliable pitcher in terms of innings, with his career-high being 178 in his lone season in San Francisco.

They did bring in Marcus Stroman in free agency, and he will need to be relied on more than initially thought. Outside of those three, Clarke Schmidt is someone who they wanted to take a step forward, but he's yet to really find footing in the big leagues.

Despite trading for Juan Soto, they still seem to have enough to make a trade of this caliber happen. The only question that remains is if Brian Cashman will rely on his free agents from the last two winters and wait for Cole, or if he will go and do something about it.

1. Texas Rangers

The v are an interesting case. Yes, they signed Jacob deGrom a big five-year deal. Yes, they traded for Max Scherzer. However, it's becoming increasingly more difficult to rely on them to pitch consistently given their injuries that have been piling up.

While Nate Eovaldi was nails in the playoffs last season and is off to a hot start in 2024, posting a 1.38 ERA through two starts, the rest of the staff leaves a lot to be desired. Andrew Heaney and Jon Gray were pretty much league-average last season and Dane Dunning has been up and down throughout his career.

Luzardo would be a huge upgrade on the back half of the rotation and would allow someone like Dunning to move to the bullpen, where he has a lot of experience. Coming off of a World Series win, the Rangers still have a really explosive offense, but that doesn't mean they don't have spots to improve.

With deGrom on the 60-day IL and Scherzer on the 15-day IL, they need as much pitching as they can get in order to compete in a pretty loaded AL West.

Of course, Miami could just decide to hold onto Luzardo. Their young star Eury Perez needs Tommy John surgery, putting them down a pitcher already. And, oh yeah, having a stud pitcher can help during a winless start to the season. Nothing may come of these rumors, but it will be the talk of trades until we get something definitive.