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The Los Angeles Dodgers made significant additions to its starting rotation before the season began, signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, acquiring Tyler Glasnow from the Tampa Bay Rays, agreeing to a reunion with Clayton Kershaw and more.
But there is still a cloud hanging over their formidable rotation, as Kershaw, James Paxton, Walker Buehler and other members have lengthy injury histories. As a result, Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report projected that the team might pull off a trade for Jesús Luzardo, a young and relatively-durable starter for the Miami Marlins.
“The Dodgers are nonetheless worth thinking about for Luzardo for two reasons,” Rymer noted. “One, because they can never be counted out on any upgrade. And two, there’s still a question of how many innings (the current rotation) are going to eat on an individual level. That’s less of a concern with Luzardo after he logged 178.2 innings in 2023.”
Specifically, Rymer proposed that the Dodgers give up infielder Miguel Vargas and prospects Dalton Rushing and Josue De Paula to land Luzardo.
“Vargas has become something of a forgotten man, but he’s been raking (1.255 OPS, 3 HR) at Triple-A to begin the year,” Rymer added. “Rushing would otherwise have more of an avenue in Miami than he does in Los Angeles, where he’s looking up at Freddie Freeman and Will Smith.”
The Miami Marlins Seem Ready to Trade Jesús Luzardo
The Marlins are considering trades for compelling players like Luzardo and Luis Arraez after they traded Jon Berti to the New York Yankees, according to a report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin.
“No, it is not too early to envision the Miami Marlins as a trade-deadline seller, not when they already have moved one veteran player and entertained offers for some of their biggest names,” they wrote. “Luis Arraez, 27, and left-hander Jesús Luzardo, 26, are more valuable commodities. The Marlins resisted trading both before Opening Day. But if their play does not improve, first-year general manager Peter Bendix almost certainly will be more inclined to dismantle his roster.”
Jesús Luzardo Has $90 Million Talent With a $5.5 Million Salary for This Season
Luzardo would be a particularly-appealing trade chip as he is owed just $5.5 million for the 2024 season and will remain an arbitration-eligible player until 2027, keeping him from testing the free-agent market.
But in a six-year career, the 26-year-old southpaw has demonstrated much more value than that annual salary suggests, maintaining a career 4.19 ERA and making 32 starts last season. Tim Britton of The Athletic projected that Luzardo is worth an extension of $90 million over six years, comparing him to Minnesota Twins ace Pablo López, who signed a four-year, $73.5 million deal last year.
“If we put extra emphasis on what he’s done recently, he can climb into a class with former teammate Pablo López,” Britton wrote. “López’s deal valued his free-agent years, which also started at age 29, at about $21 million each.”
The Dodgers have a strong farm system, and Rymer’s proposal would see them part with two of their top-four prospects. But if they do pull off such a trade, they would add some young depth to a rotation that is looking to make a deep postseason run.
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