Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate since last year. With the Miami Marlins struggling in 2024, Luzardo is expected to be a popular candidate to be moved ahead of the trade deadline. Robert Murray of FanSided reports that the New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, and Baltimore Orioles have been mentioned as possible fits for the left-handed starting pitcher.
The Marlins reached the postseason in 2023. There were fairly high expectations for the team heading into 2024. Instead, Miami is at the bottom of the National League East division.
Miami is expected to sell ahead of the deadline as a result. Luzardo still has multiple years of team control remaining and is only 26 years old. Many teams will be interested in acquiring Luzardo. But it's more than his age and contract that will draw interest.
Luzardo has struggled mightily in 2024. However, he features the ceiling of an ace. Teams like the Yankees, Brewers, and Orioles would love to add a pitcher with that kind of potential to their rotations.
Jesus Luzardo's ceiling
In 2024, Luzardo has pitched to a lackluster 5.30 ERA across 56 innings. However, he recorded a 3.32 ERA in 2022 and 3.58 ERA in 2023. Many people around the MLB world believe Luzardo can be one of the best pitchers in the game.
It has obviously been a down year for him so far. He's striking batters out less often than usual, and Luzardo is surrendering far more fly balls than the past two years.
One has to wonder if a change of scenery would solve the problem. The Marlins' immense struggles have been a result of underperformance. Sometimes joining a contending team is enough to help players turn their seasons around.
If he can increase his strikeout percentage while keeping the ball on the ground at a more consistent rate, Luzardo will end up being alright.
Yankees' potential interest stands out
The Yankees have received tremendous production from their starting pitching rotation despite Gerrit Cole being out with an injury. Injuries have been problematic for the team over the past few seasons, though. One has to imagine their potential interest in Luzardo would stem from a desire to add pitching depth.
We are still only in June. The Yankees can better assess their needs in July. New York has been linked to a number of players already in trade rumors, but only time will tell which players they have serious interest in acquiring.
At the moment, New York leads the American League East by 4.5 games. The Yankees would love to win the division so upgrading the roster in any way possible will catch their attention.
The Marlins are going to receive a quality return for Luzardo, but his struggles may force them to settle for less than what they would have originally expected. The Yankees could buy low in a sense while acquiring him if they do indeed choose to pursue a deal with Miami.
There will be plenty of interest in Jesus Luzardo, however.
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