The San Diego Padres entered this offseason in search of pitching help for their starting rotation. They were expected to lose multiple arms from the 2023 rotation. So far, the expectation has played out true to form.
Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo departed for Kansas City, while Blake Snell remains available on the open market. He is unlikely to return, so the team has been looking to replace the production from these players.
The Padres did acquire some young pitching talent in the trade that sent Juan Soto to the New York Yankees. Even if Michael King picks up where he left off in 2023 as a solid starter, the rotation still needs more help. The Padres' front office has been on a money-saving spree this winter, so the trade market may be their best option.
One of the bigger names that could be available is starter Jesus Luzardo of the Miami Marlins.
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal was the first to mention Luzardo drawing interest around the league. This sparked debate about what it would take for teams to acquire the left-hander.
"Left-hander Jesús Luzardo (three years of club control) and right-hander Edward Cabrera (five) continue to draw interest."
Last season with the Marlins, Luzardo posted an ERA of 3.58 and a WHIP of 1.21 over 32 starts. He also struck out 208 batters over 178.2 innings of work, showing that he knows how to miss bats well.
Luzardo would likely cost a few top prospects, but the Padres should absolutely be after him. He would give them a young, controllable option for the rotation since he still has three years of team control left.
Luzardo is estimated to make $5.9 million in arbitration this coming year, a modest salary that would help ownership keep costs low.
Adding Luzardo to a starting rotation alongside Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove would give the Friars more experience. King is 28, but has only started 19 games over the past five years. Jhony Brito made 13 starts for the Yankees last season. The other starters currently listed on the Padres' depth chart — Randy Vasquez, Pedro Avila and Matt Waldron — have 14 career big league starts combined.
The Padres have the prospect capital to pull off a trade with Miami, and Luzardo would be a game-changer for them. This is the type of move that San Diego has to be looking into if they want to heavily compete next season.
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