The offseason is in full swing with the New York Yankees among many teams having made a splash in the trade and free agent markets.
One area the Yankees can add to is their pitching rotation. MLB insider Jeff Passan reported that nearly everyone is up for grabs on the Miami Marlins’ roster, making the prospects of landing LHP Jesus Luzardo probable, per Manuel Gomez of NJ.com:
“Per Passan, Miami’s new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix ‘is in listening mode on all of its players except wunderkind right-hander Eury Pérez.'”
Luzardo Would Give the Yankees a Strong Lefty Arm on the Mound
Luzardo has reached stardom over his last two seasons with the Marlins. Keeping his ERA below 4.00 in both years, Luzardo reached 100-plus strikeouts for the first time with 120 in 2022 and crossed the 200-plus strikeouts threshold with 208 this past season, ranking No. 12 in the MLB.
His ability to put away hitters while keeping his runs earned at a respectable rate would give the Yankees an optimal second option behind reigning AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole.
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A Move For Luzardo Aligns With the Yankees’ Spending Goals This Offseason
Luzardo is fresh off of his first seven-figure salary, having earned $2.45 million last season. Slated to enter his second year of arbitration where his salary is projected to increase 2.5 times over, the Yankees adding an arm of his caliber at his current price point would be a win in the trade department.
The 26-year-old has shown an upward trend in progression which has other franchises such as the New York Mets also considering making a push for him.
The Yankees are currently sitting at roughly $279 million in payroll for 2024 following a string of deals including their trade for OF Juan Soto. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said on multiple occasions this past fall that the team would not need to exceed the $300 million mark in order to build a World Series contending team.
Therefore, with money, age and play all taken into account, Luzardo is a great option for Yankees general manager Brian Cashman to consider as he rounds out the roster.
