MLB Rumors: Yankees plan without Cole, Red Sox target, Giants hurt star chances
- Giants squander their front office reputation with J.D. Davis back-stab
- Red Sox could target Marlins' Jesus Luzardo
- Yankees should add pitching depth with Gerrit Cole hurt, but will they?
MLB rumors: Marlins ace Jesus Luzardo would 'be interested' in Red Sox
The Miami Marlins floated 26-year-old ace Jesus Luzardo to prospective trade partners in the offseason. While nothing has come to fruition yet, there are still teams in need of help on the mound. Few more gravely than the Boston Red Sox.
Even with Brayan Bello locked up long term, the Red Sox pitching staff is in dire straits right now. Lucas Giolito is slated to miss significant time, chopping off the head of the proverbial dragon. Boston hasn't done much scrambling for solutions under new GM Craig Breslow, who continues to operate with a maddening patience that mostly equates to inaction.
If there was ever a prime target for Boston, it's Luzardo. He's on a similar developmental timeline as Bello and, most importantly, he's under contract through the 2026 season. That is three years of guaranteed team control, with plenty of time to work out an extension. And, to add to the case in favor of trading for Luzardo, he would be greatly intrigued by the idea of pitching in Boston.
The Boston Globe's Julian McWilliams went on WEEI's Play Tessie podcast to touch on the possibility of bringing Luzardo to Fenway.
"I covered Jesús when he was in Oakland and trust me, he would be interested in pitching in Boston. I talked to him when he was here the last time he pitched and he was like 'Dude I've never pitched in a place like this. It was an amazing experience. The mound is just different.'"
The ball is essentially in Boston's court here. The Marlins would require a haul to part with such a gifted young arm — Luzardo's base salary is a mere $5.5 million next season — but he's clearly available. If the Red Sox put together a compelling package, Luzardo is well within reach. He would help in the present, while also setting up Boston for a more prosperous future. The fact that he loves Fenway so much is an added bonus.