The Philadelphia Phillies are set to embark on what figures to be a wildly important 2026 campaign. While the Phillies have had no trouble making it to the playoffs in recent years, they have been unable to find a way to get over the hump and win a World Series championship. If they can’t accomplish that goal this upcoming season, big changes could be in store.
There are several reasons for optimism entering the new season, with one of them being the starting rotation. Philadelphia has several solid pitchers leading the way in this department, with one such guy being Jesus Luzardo, who is fresh off his first campaign with the Phillies. With some strong numbers in the books from last season, the team was recently urged to sign Luzardo to a contract extension before Opening Day rolls around.
Phillies Get Pushed to Sign Jesus Luzardo to Contract Extension
Luzardo broke into the majors back in 2019 with the Oakland Athletics as a highly-touted prospect, but he never truly managed to find his footing with the team. Midway through the 2021 campaign, Luzardo was traded to the Miami Marlins, and he ended up turning himself into one of the more promising young starters in the game.
Ahead of the 2025 campaign, Luzardo found himself on the move again, as he was traded to the Phillies. In his first year with his new club, Luzardo promptly turned in one of the most complete seasons of his career, as he posted a 15-7 record and a 3.92 ERA while also racking up a career-high 216 strikeouts.
After agreeing to a one-year, $11 million contract that helped the two sides avoid arbitration, Luzardo is set to hit the open market next offseason. Of course, Philadelphia could look to sign him to a contract extension before then, and that’s precisely what they were urged to do recently by Cole Weintraub of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
“He’s already looked sharp in Clearwater. Dave Dombrowski has voiced confidence in the relationship and openness to extension talks,” Weintraub wrote. “The case is there. The timing is right. The Phillies should make it happen.”
Should the Phillies Sign Jesus Luzardo to a Contract Extension?
GettyThe Phillies have been urged to sign Jesus Luzardo to a contract extension
While the Phillies feature an aging core group, Luzardo still appears to have several good years in front of him. He’s only entering his age-28 season, meaning he’s primed to earn a big payday in free agency at some point within the next year or so. Whether or not Philadelphia is the team that will hand him that deal is unknown, but Luzardo proved last season that he is capable of being a key piece of this rotation for years to come.
Philadelphia’s front office may prefer to see how Luzardo pitches to begin the year, but it would run the risk of watching his price rise in real time. The Phillies could cross off a big item on their to-do list by taking care of business before the season even starts, and while there’s always a bit of risk associated with these sorts of deals, it seems like betting on Luzardo would be a wise decision.
Phillies Urged to Make Big Move with Jesus Luzardo Ahead of 2026 Season