The Phillies acquire left-handed pitcher Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins, according to a report from Robert Murray of Fansided. According to Craig Mish of the Miami Herald, the Marlins are getting a shortstop prospect Starlyn Caba and outfield perspective Emaarion Boyd in the deal. Matt Gelb of The Athletic adds that the Phillies are welcoming a minor league catcher Paul McIntosh in the deal alongside Luzardo.

The 27-year-old Luzardo has had a somewhat lost season, but was still one of the most sought-after starters on the market last winter. The southpaw made just 12 starts in 2024 due to a lumbar stress reaction and struggled when he was healthy enough to take the mound with a 5.00 ERA (91 ERA+) in 66 2/3 innings. While Luzardo maintained a solid 8% walk rate, his 21.2% strikeout rate was well below his career norms and his fastball velocity was more than a tick below where it was in 2023.

Despite those warts, however, it’s easy to see why Luzardo would be an attractive addition to the Phillies’ rotation. In 279 innings for the Marlins in 2022-23, Luzardo dominated with a 3.48 ERA (129 ERA+) and a 3.40 FIP. His average fastball velocity of 96.7 mph was near the top of the scale for left-handed starters, and his strikeout rate of 28.7% ranked eighth among starters with at least 250 innings of work during that time, he lay in between Dylan Stop it And Shane McClanahan.

While there is no guarantee that Luzardo can regain the elite-level performance he showed before his injured 2024 season, the Phillies don’t have to rely on him for peak performance. Instead, Luzardo joins an incredibly strong Phillies rotation that is already in place Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger SuarezAnd Cristopher Sanchez. Even a fully healthy and effective Luzardo would slot in as the No. 2 starter in this rotation between Wheeler and Nola, and even if the southpaw only tends to the peripherals (4.23 FIP, 4.33 SIERA), he scored during his injury-ravaged season A result in 2024 would be a noticeable improvement Taijuan Walkerwho posted an ugly 7.10 ERA in 83 2/3 innings last season.

The Phillies are known to have interest in adding rotation help this winter, although it was widely expected that it would come in the form of a “defensive player” who could pitch out of the bullpen or provide Walker with competition for the fifth starter spot, similarly like the club’s signing of the right-hander Spencer Turnbull last winter. However, acquiring a player with Luzardo’s talent and pedigree obviously goes far beyond that and will certainly force Walker into a long backup role to start the season, assuming the rest of the rotation is healthy. The addition of Luzardo also eliminates the club’s long-term need for rotation help as he is under team control for the next two seasons. With Suarez set to hit free agency after the 2025 season, it’s possible that signing Luzardo allows the Phillies to rely on a combination of Walker and a top prospect Andrew Painter to round out their rotation in 2026. That would push the need for an additional starter until the 2026-27 offseason, at which point both Walker and Luzardo themselves would be eligible for free agency.

For now, however, Luzardo is a cost-controlled addition to the Phillies’ roster that will significantly increase the group’s already impressive ceiling. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz expects Luzardo to earn an arbitration salary of just $6 million in 2025, a figure that puts the Phillies’ payroll at $285 million and their luxury tax payroll at $304 million. US dollars per RosterResource can increase. What’s notable is that this puts them over the highest tax threshold of $301 million for next season. From that point on, the club will be taxed at a 110% tax rate on any excess over $301 million, and its highest pick in the 2026 draft will be moved back ten spots.

As for the actual financial cost, including Luzardo would cost the Phillies about $10.5 million between the southpaw’s salary and the associated tax bill. It’s an unprecedented level of spending for the Phillies, and it’s not clear how much room the club will have to make further improvements. Perhaps that’s why president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski indicated earlier this week that the club likely won’t make any other major additions, with a swingman on the pitching staff and a reliever on the lineup as the club’s remaining priorities were highlighted. The addition of Luzardo likely eliminates the need for a swingman, as Walker will naturally be pushed into that role.

More to come…