Yankees have made potential approach to trade….
Jess Luzardo’s possible availability should be considered seriously, especially if the Yankees fail to execute Plan A.
Jess Luzardo is not the most obvious choice for a trade. There was some speculation that Miami was considering trading one of their young starters, but the Marlins have plenty of reasons to keep Luzardo. All of the reasons the Marlins have to keep him are the same ones that could help Miami get a good price for his services.
The New York Yankees recently issued a statement. By purchasing Juan Soto, the company demonstrated the depth of its commitment to winning the championship in 2024. Soto is a huge addition in and of itself, but by all reports, Brian Cashman and company are far from done this offseason.
With that in mind, even if the front office and ownership are ready to be proactive, there are only a few players who will satisfy the criteria you’re looking for. We know Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the top priority in the hunt for another front-line starter, but if that doesn’t pan out, a surprising trade target could be in order.
Luzardo checks nearly as many boxes as a target can, which raises his asking price in a hypothetical deal, but it also reflects how important an acquisition he’d be. At first blush, the Marlins don’t appear to be under any obligation to move Luzardo. While they have a number of talented arms, aside from Eury Perez, he’s arguably their best healthy starter with Sandy Alcántara out, and he’s also under contract for three more years.
Having said that, the Marlins’ general office has just changed, and there have been reports of trade interest in the valued southpaw. Trade interest does not imply that he is being shopped. However, there have been no early indicators that he is not as “untouchable” as Perez.
That’s all you need to know to at least thoroughly explore the opportunity, especially when it comes to such a good and reasonably priced pitcher. Luzardo was acquired by the Marlins in the Starling Marte trade, and after struggling in Oakland, the southpaw found himself in Miami at the start of the 2022 season. Luzardo has pitched 279 innings over the last two seasons, posting a 124 ERA+ and a 1.15 WHIP. Luzardo managed to stay healthy for a whole year in 2023 after missing substantial time in 2022, notching over 200 strikeouts in 178.2 innings in 32 starts.
The path to a Luzardo trade is short, but it’s not entirely impossible that the Marlins would consider the appropriate offer. Even though they made the playoffs last year, the Marlins still have a lack of offensive potency, which they could address. It’s always difficult to guess on specific trade packages since every team views things differently, and there are a million potential ways a baseball trade might go. With that in mind, a bat like Gleyber Torres, as well as some of the Yankees’ talented outfield prospects, may be discussed as enticing choices for Miami. It makes so much sense that it happened earlier, when Miami was looking for Pablo López. In truth, that transaction was on the verge of being completed.
Obviously, the Yankees will have to assess whether it’s worth it to give up talented hitters for Luzardo or any substantial bundle of skill. Luzardo has a high ceiling, which he came close to reaching last year. He’s a 26-year-old left-handed starter with one of the hardest fastballs in the game, and he just achieved a 125 ERA+ in a full season. He has the kind of impact talent that you can imagine starting and winning a playoff game with, but that kind of talent is expensive.
That’s why the Yankees’ pursuit of Yamamoto feels so high-stakes; if they don’t get him, there will be few impact starters available on the free agency market, and they may be forced to provide a substantial prospect package in order to bring in a high-end starter. Someone like Luzardo would be a fantastic fit in the Yankee rotation, but he would come at a premium price. If they miss their top aim, they’ll have to pivot swiftly and consider all other choices.
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