Miami Marlins: Could a Jesus Luzardo to the Minnesota Twins trade make sense?

One swirling Jesus Luzardo to the Chicago Cubs rumors have reportedly cooled. This is unfortunate for the Miami Marlins, as an Owen Cassie-centered swap would have been a massive win for the franchise.

There is now speculation that the Minnesota Twins could emerge as a sensible trade partner for the southpaw's services. First on Fish has thrown out a projected deal that would send Luzardo and reliever Andrew Nardi to Minnesota in exchange for prospects Luke Keaschall, C.J. Culpepper, and Competitive Balance Round A draft pick.

The Headlining Bat

On paper, this is a solid return for Miami. Keaschall, the deal's centerpiece, is the 63rd-ranked prospect by MLB.com. He would immediately slot in between Marlins' top prospect Thomas White (#46) and now-second-ranked Noble Meyer (#69).

President Peter Bendix has done a remarkable job of stockpiling prospect capital over the past year. However, Miami still lacks hitters with truly high ceilings.

Adding a player like Keaschall would help address this void of top-end hitting prospects. The 22-year-old's hit tool and contact skills are his best attributes. He maintained a strikeout percentage under 11% during his entire colligate career and showed comparable skills in the minor leagues.

He has good but not great power. And solid, but not elite speed. This complete package has drawn comparisons to former Red Sox All-Star infielder Dustin Pedroia.

Keaschall is currently recovering from Tommy John's surgery, which makes him more difficult to trade. Miami would need to be hyper-diligent in their medical evaluation.

The Twins' prospect is flexible as a defender, seeing time in the outfield (including centerfield), first base, and second base. While his long-term position is undecided, this fluidity could serve as an advantage for a rebuilding Marlins team.

The Supplementary Arm

Additionally, Culpepper is an interesting sweetener in the proposed deal. The right-handed pitcher has a five-pitch mix, with a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and tops out near 97 mph.

He will need to continue to build strength and stamina, as his velocities dropped as last season drew on. However, Minnesota's #13 prospect has a tangible upside.

The Verdict

In a perfect world, the Marlins could throw out prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez, the Twins 2nd ranked prospect and #29 overall, as a centerpiece. However, Keaschall and Culpepper would be a reasonable return for Miami's high-upside starter.

Minnesota could keep their top two prospects and gain another solid starter on a team-friendly deal. This, combined with an established big three of former Marlin Pablo Lopez, Bailey Ober, and Joe Ryan, would give the Twins one of the most complete starting rotations in baseball.

This deal would also give Miami a high-pedigree bat to add to their core of Agustin Ramirez, Deyvison Le Los Santos, Connor Norby, Kyle Stowers, etc. This deal isn't as big a slam-dunk as the Cubs/Caissie trade. However, it is worth Miami's time to pursue a Keaschall-centered deal with Minnesota.