Off-season trade looking bad for the Miami Marlins

The Miami Marlins made a perhaps surprising trade in the off-season. A trade that looked questionable at the time. The trade saw The Fish trade starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo to the Philadelphia Phillies. It was a surprising trade because Peter Bendix was selling low on the top of the rotation arm. The trade no longer looks good. It's time to re-analyze the situation.

Jesus Luzardo was traded by the Miami Marlins to Philly.

Peter Bendix wanted to cash-in on Jesus Luzardo in case he was too hurt to pitch well again. Luzardo is a free agent after next season and had a history of injuries. Luzardo pitched very well for the Miami Marlins from 2022 to 2023, during that two-season stretch he pitched to a 3.48 ERA/3.40 FIP, with 10.6 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 50 games and 279.0 innings pitched.

During that stretch, it seemed that Jesus Luzardo proved himself to be a top of the rotation arm who could be expected to be a solid number two starter. If The Fish weren't going to sign him to an extension, he would certainly be a major trade chip that would bring the team a lot in a return. It was a big surprise when things didn't quite work out as well as expected in 2024.

The 2024 season went terribly for Luzardo as he pitched to a dreadful 5.00 ERA/4.26 FIP, with 7.8 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 12 games and 66.2 innings pitched. He wasn't himself and it showed. It was therefore a surprise when Bendix traded him after THAT season. It seemed that he knew something worrying about his health, that would explain why he would sell low on him.

It's now looking like Bendix may have been off about Luzardo. He currently has a 1.50 ERA/1.86 FIP, with 14.3 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9 in 2 games and 12.0 innings pitched. It's still early, but he's pitching like a legitimate ace. It makes the trade look really bad and makes me think that the Miami Marlins should've waited to trade him and could've received more in return.