Marlins trade Jesús Luzardo to the Phillies for two prospects

Luzardo is the big piece of this trade. It was a rough season for the 27-year-old left-handed pitcher, as he posted a 5 ERA and a 4.26 FIP in 66.2 innings pitched, with a 21.2 K% and an 8 BB%. In late June, he was placed on the 60-day Injured List with a lumbar stress reaction and missed the rest of the season.

In 2023, Luzardo had a 3.58 ERA and a 3.55 FIP in 178.2 innings pitched, along with a 28.1 K% and a 7.4 BB%. The year before that in 2022, he had a 3.32 ERA and a 3.12 FIP in 100.1 innings pitched, with a 30 K% and an 8.8 BB%.

Luzardo, born in Peru, was selected in the third round of the 2016 draft by the Washington Nationals. In mid-July 2017, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics in a five-player trade, before being traded in Jul. 2021 for Starling Marte.

The lefty averages 95.2 mph on his four-seam fastball and features a four-pitch mix, including a slider, changeup, and two-seamer. In 2023, his fastball averaged a Run Value of 15 according to Baseball Savant, as the fastball averaged 96.7 mph that season.

As for the Marlins’ return, Caba ranked as the Phillies’ fourth-best prospect in the mid-season update and the 91st-best prospect in all of baseball. The shortstop slashed .254/.427/.335 with two home runs in 225 plate appearances in the Florida Complex League but struggled once he reached Single-A, as he had a 59 wRC+ in 115 plate appearances.

Boyd ranked as the Phillies’ 23rd-best prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Last season in High-A, the 21-year-old slashed .239/.316/.330 with three home runs in 400 plate appearances for a 90 wRC+.

On paper, it looks as if the Marlins have lost this trade from the get-go, as neither prospect had a particularly good season in 2024. Luzardo has two more seasons of team control as he’ll be a free agent at the end of the 2026 season, and despite his poor numbers in 2024, he’s a good pitcher at the end of the day.