Getty Yankees manager Aaron Boone won't have his ace to start 2024. Could New York soften the blow by acquiring Jesus Luzardo from the Marlins?
The New York Yankees haven’t even played their first 2024 regular-season game yet, but they’re already in a bind. Starting pitcher Gerrit Cole will be sidelined for at least one or two months, leaving the Bombers without their ace and the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner. Could general manager Brian Cashman soften the blow by trading for Miami Marlins hurler Jesus Luzardo?
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer listed several “emergency options” to bolster New York’s rotation given the uncertainty surrounding Cole. He placed the hurlers in four buckets. This included internal options, “lesser” free agents, long-shot trade targets and realistic ace targets. Rymer listed Luzardo as a possibility, but he fell into the long-shot trade target.
“Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic cast doubt on a Luzardo trade in January, which was notably before fellow Marlins hurler Edward Cabrera hurt his shoulder again,” he said.
Luzardo has been solid for Miami since the start of 2022. Across his last 279 innings (50 starts), the left-hander has produced a 14-16 record with a 3.52 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 328 strikeouts. He’s set to make $5.5 million in 2024, per Spotrac. The asking price will be sky-high should Miami genuinely make him available on the trade market. The 26-year-old isn’t set to hit free agency until after the 2026 season.
Would Luzardo Be a Good Fit for New York?
This isn’t the first time Luzardo and the Bombers have been linked as a potential pair. ESPN’s Jeff Passan mentioned New York’s interest in the southpaw on January 3. While Cashman needs to inspect all possibilities, would Luzardo even be a good fit in the Bronx?
He hasn’t played for a big-market team yet in his five-year MLB career. Before landing with the Marlins at the 2021 trade deadline, he pitched for the Oakland Athletics. Of course, not having prior experience of playing in a major media market shouldn’t give the Yankees pause. How he operates on the mound might, though.
Luzardo has been more of a fly-ball pitcher since debuting with Oakland in 2019. His career fly-ball rate is 38.3%, and the 40.8% mark he produced in 2023 was his highest since 2019, per FanGraphs. Being a fly-ball pitcher at the Oakland Coliseum and loanDepot park is OK. They’ve been two of the toughest places in baseball to hit home runs since 2021, according to Statcast’s park factors. Over that same period, though, Yankee Stadium has been one of the easiest places to hit home runs, ranking third.
The Yankees’ External Rotation Options Are Dwindling
In the immediate aftermath of Cole’s injury news, it seemed as if the Yankees’ preference was to acquire Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox. They had re-engaged the club on trade talks on March 12 and submitted a new proposal. However, it didn’t include top outfield prospect Spencer Jones, likely the dealbreaker for both sides.
Cease is now headed to the San Diego Padres, narrowing the Yankees’ possible external options even more. Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are still free agents, but the New York Post’s Jon Heyman poured cold water on the Bombers trying to sign either. Cleveland Guardians pitcher Shane Bieber is another trade target, but it’s also seen as a long shot.
New York traded a bunch of its perceived pitching depth to San Diego in December to acquire outfielders Trent Grisham and Juan Soto. However, there are still several internal options to bridge the gap. Rymer mentioned Clayton Beeter, Luis Gil and Luke Weaver, among others, who could step in to fill the open rotation spot.