The San Francisco Giants are fresh off a disappointing 80-82 season in 2024. Buster Posey is now in charge of the front office, hoping to consistently get the club back to October. Could they swing a trade for ace Jesus Luzardo to supplement the 2025 starting rotation?
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer thinks the southpaw is the most likely Miami Marlins player to be traded before Opening Day next March.
“He [Luzardo] had oodles of value after a strong 2023 season, but less so now after a brutal 2024 campaign that resulted in him getting shut down early with a bad back,” he said. “The 27-year-old might nonetheless be a trade candidate during the spring if he shows he’s healthy in Grapefruit League play. Impact trades aren’t common around that time of year, but it was notably in mid-March that the Dylan Cease deal went down.”
Luzardo posted a 3.48 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 279 innings for Miami between 2022 and 2023. He was limited to just 66.2 innings in 2024, resulting in a 5.00 ERA and 1.25 WHIP. The hurler is estimated to earn $8.6 million via arbitration in 2025. Spotrac pegs his current market value for a multi-year deal at five years and $71.778 million.
How Jesus Luzrado Could Fit Into the Giants’ Rotation
According to FanGraphs’ Roster Resource, the Giants’ starting rotation includes Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Jordan Hicks, Kyle Harrison and Landen Roupp. There’s a fair amount of uncertainty at the top of this starting staff beyond Webb. That’s especially the case with Blake Snell expected to opt out of his contract and re-test free agency this winter.
Webb is the anchor of the rotation. He’s tossed 190-plus innings every year since 2022 and has surpassed the 200-inning plateau each of the last two seasons. Ray returned from Tommy John surgery and tossed just 30.2 innings. The southpaw has now thrown a total of 34 big-league innings since the start of 2023.
While Hicks spent most of his career as a reliever before 2024, San Francisco signed him intending to transition him back to being a starter. The hard-throwing righty appeared in 29 total games last season, including 20 starts. His final start of the year came on July 23, with his last nine appearances coming out of the bullpen.
San Francisco could use more certainty for this area of the roster. However, this isn’t to say Luzardo also doesn’t have questions heading into 2025. If the Marlins want to trade him, his ultimate value will be hindered by his recent health issues. That’s why Rymer noted he could be a spring training trade candidate after proving he’s healthy.
Jesus Luzardo’s Style Would Work Well at Oracle Park
Oracle Park has traditionally been a haven for pitchers since opening in 2000. Statcast’s Park Factors ranks it the toughest place to hit home runs since the start of 2021. Based on Luzardo’s batted-ball profile, he would fit right in on the mound by the Bay.
MLB’s league-average fly-ball rate during 2024 season settled in at 38.1%, according to FanGraphs. Luzardo’s career fly-ball rate is 38.6%, but it’s finished higher than 40.0% three times since 2021. That would play nicely at a stadium where many fly balls die in the outfield.
The 27-year-old is a hurler many pitching-needy teams will likely monitor as spring training gets underway in February. If he’s healthy, he’ll be an attractive option for several teams hoping to contend.
His 2022-23 production and two years of affordable team control are big selling points. A down 2024 could slightly lessen the prospect package needed to land him, as well. If the Giants are still trying to supplement their rotation ahead of Opening Day, seeing them make a run at the southpaw wouldn’t be shocking.
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