Phillies Acquire Jesus Luzardo From Marlins

In a nice bit of Sunday morning news, the Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins have agreed to a trade that will send left-handed starter Jesús Luzardo to the Phillies.

FanSided’s Robert Murray was the first one to report the two sides had come to an agreement on a trade. Craig Mish of the Miami Herald and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand followed up with reports of their own on the return package.

The full trade is going to be Luzardo and minor league catcher Paul McIntosh going to the Phillies, while Starlyn Caba (their No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline and No. 72 in Just Baseball’s top 100) and Emaarion Boyd (No. 23) will go to the Marlins.

Luzardo, 27, has been firmly on the trade block for a while now as the Marlins continue to trade away any players of value. The southpaw has struggled with his health and durability over the years, but he’s only two years removed from easily the best full season of his career.

In 2023, he went 10-10 with a 3.58 ERA and 3.55 FIP through a full 32-start season. This past year, he made just 12 starts until a lumbar stress reaction prematurely ended his season in June. Prior to his placement on the injured list, he had been walking more batters and striking out less than he had in years past, but the Phillies are clearly viewing 2024 as an outlier.

Marlins Trade Jesus Luzardo to the Marlins

Luzardo was easily the best-available starting pitcher on the trade market this winter and the expectation has been all along that he’d wind up getting moved. The Marlins are fully leaning into their deep teardown (as they should), and it’s wise of them to flip any players of value while their value is still high.

It’s entirely possible that another injury-plagued or underperforming season from Luzardo in 2025 would crater his value, so the Marlins may have made out like bandits in the deal.

Where Does Luzardo Fit on the Phillies?

The fit for Luzardo in Philadelphia is a great one. This Phillies squad already has a 1-4 punch consisting of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez, but they lack a true fifth starter. Before the trade went down, Taijuan Walker was penciled in as their No. 5 option, but his horrendous 2024 showing had his job status up in the air.

Even with Walker and his ERA north of 7.00 this past year, Phillies starters finished 8th in the league in ERA (3.81).

Bringing Luzardo into their rotation gives the Phillies a starting-five that’s borderline unfair. Walker can be pushed to the bullpen and function as a fill-in starter as needed.

McIntosh, a catcher by trade, has yet to make his big league debut. The 27-year-old has shown considerable raw power over the course of his minor league career, including twice hitting double-digit home run totals while playing in 90 or less games.

This past year, he recorded 18 doubles and 12 home runs along with 55 RBI and 50 runs scored in 117 games at the Double-A level. He also picked up left field in his defensive repertoire, ultimately making 47 appearances behind the plate and 34 in left.

What are the Marlins Getting in Return?

Caba, 19, is the prize of the return by a longshot. The middle infielder is extremely young and a work in progress, but he’s gotten his pro career off to a strong start. He’s a switch-hitter with much more contact in his bat than raw power and has an outstanding sense of patience and pitch-recognition at the dish.

This past season, Caba made it into 78 games between Rookie Ball and Low-A. Just 10 of his 61 hits were of the extra-base variety, but he went 50-for-62 in stolen base attempts while drawing 67 walks and striking out just 49 times.

Armed with well above-average range and a strong throwing arm, Caba is a long-term shortstop through and through.

Boyd, 21, was the Phillies’ 11th-round selection in the 2022 MLB Draft. He is another player with blinding speed that he uses to his advantage both on the basepaths and out in center field. It’s unclear how much offensive potential Boyd will wind up with, but his speed is elite and he should become an above-average defender in either left or center field as he develops.