Should the Dodgers Trade for Jesus Luzardo This Offseason?

Rumors that the Miami Marlins might trade pitcher Jesus Luzardo gained steam after Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported the young pitcher was the subject of at least one trade talk at the Winter Meetings. Rosenthal previously reported there was “interest” among teams for Luzardo. How interested the Marlins are in trading him remains to be seen.

If he’s available, the Dodgers need to go all-in to acquire Luzardo.

Born in Peru and raised in South Florida to Venezuelan parents, Luzardo is three years away from free agency. Although the 26-year-old lefty beat the Marlins in an arbitration hearing last winter to fetch a $2.45 million salary, cost isn’t an issue for any team interested in acquiring him.

When the Dodgers’ front office spends money hand over fist, that only makes young, controllable talent all the more important. Additionally, as currently projected, the Dodgers don’t have a single left-handed pitcher in their rotation. That could change if Clayton Kershaw returns, but his recovery from shoulder surgery will likely sideline him until the second half of 2024.

Who Is Jesus Lazardo?

Luzardo, 26, still has three years left of team control. He’ll be owed an estimated $6 million in 2024 and will not be a free agent until 2027. Having a (relatively) cheap arm like Luzardo in the rotation allows a front office to spend on other areas of the team.

A former top prospect, Luzardo boasts an elite fastball that averages 97 mph. After mostly abandoning his sinker in 2023, he throws a deceptive slider, changeup, and very occasionally a cutter.

A primary four-seam fastball thrower, Luzardo uses his slider as his putaway pitch against batters from both sides of the plate. His fastball averages 14.1 inches of arm-side run, which is rare when thrown at 97 mph. The slider has more of a curveball shape to it. It does not have a crazy amount of horizontal break, but it gets solid vertical depth.

Over the years with Oakland and Miami, Lizard has struggled locating his fastball with any kind of consistency. He seemed to have fixed that after being dealt to the Marlins in 2021. Since then, he lowered his BB/9 every year from 5.0 to 2.8. He did this while maintaining the same SO/9 at about 10.5.

The last two seasons have been the best of Lizard’s career. He threw a career-high 178.2 innings in 2023 with a 3.58 ERA, 208 strikeouts, and a respectable 22 home runs allowed. Like most Marlins pitchers, Luzardo was a much better pitcher in Miami than on the road.

How Luzardo Fits with the Dodgers

Luzardo has great potential for his age. If added, he could slot in as the Dodgers’ fourth starter and and eat innings. In 32 starts last year, he provided the Marlins with 17 quality starts (at least six innings pitched, three or fewer earned runs allowed). For reference, the Dodgers had 53 total quality starts last year and Kershaw led the team with 11.

The Dodgers need a lefty in their rotation. More importantly, they need pitching that plays up in the postseason. With his explosive fastball, Luzardo ought to perform well in October, either in the rotation or out of the bullpen.

The Marlins will want a haul for a 26-year-old pitcher with three years left of team control. However, the Dodgers have plenty of talent in the farm system to make a trade like this happen. Whether it costs Diego Cartaya, Michael Busch, Miguel Vargas — or some combination of the above — the front office has the pieces it needs to get Luzardo on the Dodgers’ roster.

Photo Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

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