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Phillies acquire Jesús Luzardo from Marlins in blockbuster 3-player exchange

The Philadelphia Phillies have officially joined the offseason party.

The Phillies were starting to look outgunned after a disappointing loss to the New York Mets in the National League Division Series. The Mets added Juan Soto, and everyone is chasing the Los Angeles Dodgers, who brought in two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell.

On Sunday, the Phillies made their first big move of the winter in an attempt to strike back at the NL’s other elites. And it was a move that addressed their most glaring roster hole from a season ago.

The fifth slot in the Phillies starting rotation was a disaster in 2024, thanks mainly to Taijuan Walker’s horrific season. The Phillies felt great about the first four pitchers in their rotation, but now, they’ll feel great about all five,

The Phillies traded for left-handed pitcher Jesús Luzardo from the Miami Marlins, sending back infielder Starlyn Caba and outfielder Emaarion Boyd in return. Robert Murray of FanSided was the first to break the news of the trade.

Caba and Boyd were the fourth and 23rd-ranked prospects in the Philadelphia system respectively, according to MLB.com. Caba, a 19-year-old who reached Low-A in 2024, is also the 81st-ranked prospect in all of baseball.

Luzardo, 27, suffered a back injury that cut his 2024 season start after 12 starts. His career has been a mixed bag, with a 4.29 ERA in parts of six seasons, but he’s flashed the stuff of an ace at times, striking out 208 batters in his excellent 2023 campaign.

Luxardo is eligible for a fourth year of arbitration, so he’ll be under team control for the 2025 and 2026 seasons if he the Phillies don’t work out an extension. Spotrac estimates that he will make $8.6 million in 2025.

Moving top prospects is always tough, but the Phillies had to do something to keep up in the NL arms race. Luzardo gives them a chance to have one of the most fearsome rotations in recent memory.

More MLB: Phillies blockbuster trade proposal lands Twins $65 million All-Star in 4-player swap

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