Major trade involving a Marlins pitcher may be in danger

There were a lot of rumors about a certain player and it certainly looked like a wise idea for the Miami Marlins. It now no longer looks like that the trade is going to happen. I'm of course talking about The Fish trading starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo to the Chicago Cubs. What went down and why? What does the future hold?

The Miami Marlins may not be trading Jesus Luzardo to the Chicago Cubs after all.

It was very interesting to hear that Peter Bendix was seemingly willing to trade Jesus Luzardo to the Chicago Cubs. The Miami Marlins have a deep rotation mix and Luzardo isn't really an extension candidate. He has a lengthy injury history and missed time in the 2024 season. In the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he pitched to a 3.48 ERA/3.40 FIP in 50 games and 279.0 innings pitched. That's not ace like production, but strong #2/#3 starter type. That's still good, but not elite.

What I'm basically saying is that Jesus Luzardo is not some indispensable rotation stalwart that must be kept. There is nothing wrong about trading him for much more needed hitting help. The issue is that his health is a major concern. The rumor is that it's the reason why the Chicago Cubs seemingly no longer want to make the trade.

It's obviously not ideal if the Miami Marlins don't bring in top hitting prospects for Jesus Luzardo. That said, he can always be traded mid-season in 2025 if he stays healthy and productive. I see that as a more likely way to get the most in a trade return. Right now does feel like a sell-low type of situation. He pitched to a pretty underwhelming 5.00 ERA/4.26 FIP, with 7.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 12 games and 66.2 innings pitched.

The Miami Marlins are unlikely to trade Jesus Luzardo this off-season, but next season could bring a better return back. I hope that whatever happens benefits The Fish enough in the long-term. The fans deserve to see a period of consistent winning down here in South Florida. For now, we just have to wait.