In a deadline-season stunner, the Athletics and Marlins have agreed to a straight-up, one-for-one swap sending outfielder Starling Marte to Oakland in exchange for left-hander Jesus Luzardo. The teams have announced the move. The Marlins are reportedly paying the entirety of the $4.57MM remaining on Marte’s $12.5MM salary for the 2021 season. Marte will be a free agent at season’s end.
The A’s haven’t been mentioned as a primary suitor for Marte, who’s previously been linked to the Giants, Astros and Yankees. That said, Marte is capable of playing all three outfield spots and would improve just about any team’s outfield mix. The 32-year-old is hitting .305/.405/.451 with four home runs, 22 steals and a career-high 11.6 percent walk rate in 275 plate appearances so far in 2021.
Marte missed time this season with a fractured rib he sustained on a diving catch in center field, but he’s been excellent when healthy, continuing what has been a generally underrated career to date. He’s a former All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner with a pair of 20-homer seasons under his belt and an overall .288/.345/.450 batting line through parts of ten Major League seasons between Pittsburgh, Arizona and Miami.
Acquiring Marte allows the A’s to trot out a regular outfield of Marte, Mark Canha and Ramon Laureano. The trade likely cuts into Stephen Piscotty’s playing time, though his right-handed bat will still be utilized against left-handed pitching. Any of Piscotty or the other three outfielders could get a turn at designated hitter against left-handed starters, given Mitch Moreland’s longstanding struggles against southpaws and generally underwhelming results so far in 2021.
More broadly, the move speaks to the fact that the Athletics view themselves as legitimate contenders with an immediate window to make a deep postseason run. Parting with Luzardo is an extraordinarily steep price to pay, but he’s struggled both in the Majors and in Triple-A this season. It’s possible the willingness to trade him is a reflection that the A’s are now questioning whether he’ll ever fulfill the potential that made him one of the top ten overall prospects in baseball a few years back. However, it’s also likely that Oakland views the forthcoming postseason run as something of a do-or-die moment.
The A’s are a perennially low-payroll club, and they’re set to have one of their largest and most expensive arbitration classes in recent memory. They’ll see each of Sean Manaea, Chris Bassitt, Matt Chapman, Matt Olson, Frankie Montas and the aforementioned Laureano reach arbitration this winter — to say nothing of more complementary players like Chad Pinder, Tony Kemp, Burch Smith and J.B. Wendelken. It’s a sizable group that the Athletics have to at least wonder about retaining, from a financial standpoint, so it makes good sense that Oakland is pushing strongly to surround that core with the best talent possible when they’re in possession of a Wild Card spot and a manageable six games back in the division.
That said, it’s still a legitimate stunner to see the 23-year-old Luzardo traded in a rental deal — even for a player as good as Marte. Luzardo was regarded as one of the five to ten best prospects in all of baseball from 2019-20, and he did little to sway that thinking when he debuted as a 21-year-old and pitched to a 3.68 ERA with a 25.5 percent strikeout rate and a 6.8 walk rate through his first 71 innings.
Entering the 2021 season, Luzardo was a popular breakout pick and was viewed clear member of the A’s rotation, but it’s instead been a nightmarish season for him. The lefty posted uneven results through his first five starts of the season, looking excellent at times but also yielding five runs in two different outings. He then fractured his pinkie finger in what he called an “immature” mistake, hitting his hand on a table while playing video games just hours before a scheduled start. Luzardo spent nearly a month on the shelf and pitched poorly upon his return, serving up 11 runs in 10 innings — this time out of the bullpen.
Luzardo was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on June 21, where he’s been stretching back out as a starter. The results have not been pretty, however. He’s pitched in eight games, tallying just 29 innings while limping to a 6.87 ERA with uncharacteristically poor strikeout (19.3) and walk (11.1) percentages. Las Vegas is an extremely hitter-friendly setting, but it’s impossible to simply chalk struggles of that magnitude up to a difficult environment.
The trade brings Luzardo a perhaps needed change of scenery and represents a homecoming, as the lefty attended high school in the Miami area. It’s fair to view him as something of a project, given this year’s struggles, but even a few months ago the notion of trading Luzardo for a rental player would have seemed utterly preposterous. It’s easy to see why the Marlins jumped at the chance to acquire him, even if they already have an impressive stockpile of young pitching.
In fact, that could well be part of a broader overall gambit. The Marlins have reportedly been eyeing long-term options in center field and at catcher, and adding Luzardo to a core group that already includes Sandy Alcantara, Pablo Lopez, Trevor Rogers, Sixto Sanchez, Elieser Hernandez, Max Meyer, Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett and several other intriguing arms gives the Fish one of the deepest stocks of controllable, near-MLB pitching talent in all of baseball. The Marlins could well look to parlay some of that wealth of pitching depth into a new, controllable option at a position of need — as they did a couple years back when they surprisingly shipped then-rookie right-hander Zac Gallen to the D-backs in exchange for infielder Jazz Chisholm.
Setting aside the initial, jarring reaction to a low-budget club acquiring a premium rental in exchange for a pitcher who entered the year as a top 10 prospect in all of MLB — there’s some sense to both sides of the equation. The A’s are fortifying their roster in what could be their last run at the postseason with this iteration of their core. Luzardo has struggled badly in 2021, but acquiring a player with his raw talent in a rental swap is too tantalizing to pass up for a club in their position. Not only does Luzardo possess a front-of-the-rotation ceiling, but his demotion to Triple-A has pushed his free agency back to the 2026-27 offseason, at the earliest.
Today’s trade sets the stage for additional acquisitions by both parties. The A’s aren’t spending any money on Marte, meaning they should still have some resources with which to work. The Marlins’ crop of arms is even deeper now, and that allows GM Kim Ng and her team to more aggressively explore the market for controllable young hitters. It’s as close to a blockbuster swap as you’ll see in a straight one-for-one flip, but it’s unlikely this is the final piece of the deadline puzzle for either team.
Craig Mish of the Miami Herald broke the news (via Twitter) that the A’s were close to a deal for Marte. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported a deal had been reached. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported that Luzardo would go the Marlins in the deal (Twitter link). ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on the financial component of the swap (Twitter links).
K
THE STOVE IS HOT!
DARN RIGHT STEVE. ITS TIMEEEEEE
The water is boiling!
Actually, it’s not the offseason yet, but I appreciate the enthusiasm.
Yes Berrios and Buxton to the Mets today?
Sorry, I really can’t see that happening.
That would be great, and then bring in Javy from Chicago. One can dream, but Sandy will get us Usdrubal Cabrera and maybe Wade Leblanc lol
Berrios, Buxton, and Baez?!?!? That’s getting pretty greedy, trying to assembly a new Killer B’s team.
If all of that young pitching translates for the Marlins they will be legitimate contenders. The deal is you always need more than you think to fill out the MLB starting 5
I doubt they trade, free agents and draft to build around it
Wow. Oakland making a big push, this AL west is getting fun to watch.
They are 6 games back. This is to hold a wild card spot
It also prevents the Astros from getting him.
Astros biggest need isn’t even their out field.
Regardless, he was one of their trade targets.
I doubt that they did, actually, though they might have, but there is zero way of knowing whether that is true, or not.
Because who wouldn’t want a upgrade that hits .300? Of course he was a target.
I agree with that, generally speaking – If I were targeting ANYTHING here, for the offense, it would be a good D .300 plus hitter, to guard against Astro propensity over last few years of the ill-timed team-wide batting slump
Despite that, the Astros didn’t truly need Marte.
That is correct. They did not. Mr Click is a pretty straight-shooter, and I prefer to get my info from him, than from journos :
This, from 07/23
“Q: Is pitching your foremost priority?
A: “As always, we’ll listen on anything and ask on anything. There are areas of the roster that are easier to upgrade than others. Our offense has certainly been very, very good this year, and I think our starting pitching’s been very, very good. Ryan Pressly’s been outstanding. We still think we have a lot of talent out there in the bullpen, but it’s our responsibility to make sure that we seek every opportunity to upgrade this roster, and there are some areas that are a little easier than others.””
@ Nuanced Jamesian;
Based on your posts, I’ve been watching the Astros a bit lately. They’re fun to watch, and appear to be the best team in the AL.
I always enjoyed listening to Todd Kalas. As an into announcer and tidbit contributor with the Rays for years, I found him far more enjoyable and informative then the Rays regular announcers – in fact, he put them to shame. It’s in the genes….that and Harry trained a real baseball announcer and not these kids with their silly, immature analogies and the retired ballplayers that want to be told how great they were and are not as humorous as they think (they should be made to listen to Jim Palmer – a better ballplayer than any of them were).
Just another quality employee pick-up by what is one of the top 3 organizations in MLB.
@ Nuanced Jamesian;
Re: Jesus Luzardo.
Note how these kids on here go gaga over the top 100 prospects – like that guarantees something.
They need to be made to spend a couple of hours going back to the top 100 prospects from 2-5 years ago and realize how few actually get to the bigs and contribute let alone develop into impact players.
The competition at the ML level is intensive. No guarantees about tomorrow. I just wish more teams would play strong fundamental baseball. The Astros do, which is a major reason they’re enjoyable to watch.
“I agree with that, generally speaking – If I were targeting ANYTHING here, for the offense, it would be a good D .300 plus hitter…..”
–
@ Nuanced Jamesian;
Hint…….
It’s the return of the standard baseball.
The juiced one was phased out on opening day. All these batters actually thought they were power hitters. Now their fly balls get caught in front of the warning track, like they used to. The players need to adjust their approaches and swings. This is similar to what happened in MLB when steroid testing came in.
No one is talking about the obvious. I am. This especially affected the Yankees whose hitters – L and R – were hitting routine fly balls to RF that went into the porch. Now they keep swinging away and their HR’s are routine outs. Explain it to Ducky. I wrote here what would happen to them and others in Spring Training. Didn’t take a brain surgeon to figure it out……then again, many of the FO people have been sandbagged. Rays, Brewers and a few others made necessary adjustments to their roster, They had common sense.
They are, generally, incredibly enjoyable for fans of actual baseball – they major in all the right things. When they are in beast mode, they just destroy opposition, day after day after day, with great offense, great defense, and deep effective outings from starters.
I have MLB account for radio, and have been listening to other teams feeds lately (Yanks, Red sox, couple of others) and, I have to say, Astros radio team is MILES above anybody else that I’ve heard yet.
Thanks.
MLB.TV allows a viewer to select the radio audio to go with the video.
Will give it a shot tonight.
P.S. When I watch the Yankees if I don’t like their opponents broadcast team, I listen to John Sterling and Suzie. Their TV broadcasters are terrible. With the Red Sox I’ll listen to TV if Jerry Remy is on that night.
Samuel
They need to be made to spend a couple of hours going back to the top 100 prospects from 2-5 years ago and realize how few actually get to the bigs and contribute let alone develop into impact players.
=================================================
I went to the BA top-100 from 2016.
Corey Seager
Buxton
Moncada
Julio Urias
Giolito
Crawford
Trea Turner
Gallo
Snell
Glasnow
Benni
Swanson
Devers
Meadows
Berrios
Kepler
Sanchez
Gray
Bell
Torres
Bregman
Tim anderson
Adames
Maeda
Winker
Bellinger
Albies
Contreras
Judge
Musgrove
Renfroe
Stephenson
Verdugo
Jorge Polanco
And a bunch of low-end regulalr and guys that are still in progress.
It is the oddest thing, that I kinda enjoy John & Suzie, having heard them 3 or 4 times; they are not incredibly informative, IMO, (I grew up listening to Gene Elston, then later Dierker, and Jim Deshaies) but there is something delightfully endearing about them.
Suzie seems to have more baseball snap than John.
@ JoeBrady;
Brilliant…..
You listed 34 out of maybe 200-300 players (of 500 listed) as many were on that list for years. Which averages 7 a year. Some of whom are already trending backwards, and many who have had more bad years than good.
Reading posts here, any prospect getting in the Top 100 one year is headed for stardom.
Thanks for proving my point.
When Marte soon has a season ending injury you’ll see why you don’t do a ridiculous trade like this
Take out Oaklands long winning streak and they are a .500 team
@ citzen.. Not sure what your point is? If you take 14 wins from any team they will be closer to .500. Just because they won them in a row shouldn’t change anything.
they won 13 in a row, went to 1st place, now looking up at the division leaders. the play has been a .500 ballclub. not consistent with a mark over .500
YES!!!! WE STILL IN THIS, BABY!!!
I mean, weren’t they still in it anyways? Until their record plummets, they’re technically still in it. But won’t hurt their chances
SILENCE, TROLL. No, they were playing terribly over the last month or so and Seattle all but caught up to them.
He. Made. A. Fair. Point.
Not. If. He. Watched. The. Last Month. Of. Games. Like. I. Have. And. You. Clearly. Have. Not.
Never been a fan of period pieces.
Does a cold streak matter that much tbh, no they still were near locks
So why are we all in now? Mortgaging the whole future for a race they are out of. Should have brought back Hendricks and Semien and the team wouldnt have had many holes. Now theyre trying to patch it and burning the last of the farm to do it. All Luzardos raw talent and potential for a rental in a race we wont win Awesome! Not sure why this was the year they just go all in.
Aww for cute sakes… A’sFaninUK made yet another friend.
I’d imagine some of those Arb Cases will be shipped in the offseason to restock the shelf is the thinking?
Aw look at hall monitor Bucky Dent, once against trolling all A’s threads looking for me. Have a mute, loser. Get a life.
Well done Chief.
For someone who can dish it out pretty good you turn awful sensitive in a hurry when you’re on the other end, A’s fan.
Nah, dude.
I made the mistake of thinking you were A’sFaninLondonUK. Normally I skip your posts.
Why bother.
Ya know?
But you doing your little thing made me laugh. So.
I cannot imagine the level of unhappiness it would require to be that angry & combative All The Time, @KCJ.
@cosmos2 the mute button exists, you dont ever have to read anything I write! Same goes for everyone! Why are you still bothering posting low-rent comments like this when the mute button is so easy, cmon…
@KCJ please mute me then, you know I can read your comments like that, youre talking over me when im right here – thats a low rent, low class move. PLEASE mute me, you arent even worthy of my takes!
A;sfaninUK –
Apparently most of the responders on this site feel the exact same way about you, so why don’t we just give you your own site where you can go off on your insane rants by yourself and no one else is subject to them? I will join the masses and mute you as you wish. Best of luck to you
Lol for Luzardo, gross overpay on your end even if Luzardo turns out to be a bust his value was higher than half season of Marte
Marte is an A for free.
A 56-46 team acquiring Marte for literally free is worth 4 years of a currently-broken Luzardo. Sorry you can’t make that logic connect.
If you gave up a player, by definition, it wasn’t free…
Marte was a very good, low cost, rental for the A’s.
A ring >>>>>> Luzardo’s entire career.
So if the A’s don’t win it all THEN it will be a bad trade? Marte isn’t the difference between World Series and not.
Uh, yes he absolutely is: when you upgrade Seth Brown to Starling Marte on a 56-46 team – have a clue sometime, its great!
A’s fan, are you capable of disagreeing without taking things personally and getting nasty? Lighten up. It’s called a discussion.
Oakland can add all of the offense and defense that they want, but they aren’t winning anything with that pitching staff. I’m shocked they gave up on Luzardo. Maybe they know something about him that others don’t, but he sure seemed to be a big piece of their future. The A’s have one more year of competitiveness until their Year 2 arbitration salaries kick in and they are forced to trade some of their current core because the can’t afford to pay them all. It’s such a shame for a proud franchise. I know their stadium sucks, but I blame the ‘fans’ for not supporting the team. If they don’t generate gate revenue, then they won’t be able to pay their players…simple enough. They have a great team, yet they can’t pull in more than 15K fans per game? Shameful. They really should relocate the team as even with a brand new park, I doubt they will be able to maintain sell out crowds past the first year or two. The prices will be too high for the majority of the Oakland fans to attend.
I never see anybody mention this but
1. A’s have had money problems since 1914, AT LEAST, and
2. A’s have ALWAYS operated like this since before Opening Day, 1901. They have ALWAYS played some version of Moneyball, since their beginnings.
@Cosmos2 – imagine openly gaslighting when we can see all the immediate snide comment that was just trying to bring my original joyous comment down, and made ONLY to illicit this reaction. You types will never learn….
@Dorothy_Mantooth – they have a top 10 pitching staff and top 5 rotation??? Why write all that based off being wrong in your initial premise?
@Nuanced Jamesian – good points.
But the phrase “money problems” means “owners who were awful human beings who had no business owning a MLB team to begin with”. The A’s have never had an owner who was a decent human being, period. That’s why they moved twice.
They have the third best starting rotation in the AL…
Connie Mack was probably the most decent human being ever to represent in MLB – certainly top 1 %
Also, both he and Charlie Finley were top 1% at spotting and securing talent in MLB history.
@dorothymantooth-
You can’t blame the fans for not supporting a team run by billionaire owners that refuse to put any money into the team or stadium…their front office has for years now has basically behaved like the owner in the movie Major League.
It’s really despicable, they take their money from MLB socialism (revenue sharing) and rarely spend a cent over what they receive on their payroll.
I’m surprised the other owners have let this BS go on for so long…
Also, ticket sales have very little correlation with player’s salaries/payroll.
You’re just annoying, plain and simple AsfaninUK.
ABStract, I believe the A’s were forced to stop receiving revenue sharing. Yeah I stopped to look it up. No more revenue sharing for them.
Andrew Friedman: “If you’re always rational about every free agent, you will finish third on every free agent.”
Same applies for trades
Ironic coming from Friedman who’s generally way more hesitant to overpay on trades/free agents compared to most other GMs
and managed to win a WS anyway
Yeah, it’s almost as if Andrew is goading others to do what he knows–or should knows–is stupid: signing free agents to bloated contracts.
He means what he says.
He’s given out some deals that he probably thought were gambles. Mookie’s. Pollock’s. Joe Kelly. Etc.
Sometimes GM’s have to leave the comfort zone. It’s easier to do so when you’re the Dodgers or the Yankees and you can eat a couple bad deals.
I’m not seeing the downside for the A’s on this one, at all.
The downside is obviously that Luzardo turns out to be as good as people thought he was when he came up. Which is not a ridiculous prospect at all.
Thing is, the A’s can find pitchers easily, like they currently have done with Irvin. They are terrible at developing offense, and have a hitting coach who is somehow getting least out of Chapman, Murphy, Piscotty and Laureano, who are all playing vastly under their career averages and all have terrible approaches at the plate currently. Any hitter who is a FA vet who is on fire is not going to listen to anyone and can probably be considered to keep mashing.
Loving Starlings’s huge OBP jump this season too, he really took the next step. I can’t believe someone literally said “this doesnt mean a WS for Oakland” – strongly disagree, Marte is as good as Olson this year, A’s are lacking offense, he brings it – along with good defense and clubhouse presence too.
I hate giving up luzardo for a rental , but pretty obvious his struggles pissed off the front office
I don’t think they traded Luzardo because they think he sucks or personal reasons. To get something good, you have to give something good. You want an all-star for 3 free months? Its gunna cost you a pretty penny.
So how does a currently negative war pitcher equal something good? You could say numbers don’t lie, but he was also in the minors.. I think the Marlin’s got the the raw end on this one, giving up Marte for basically nothing, unless of course Luzardo does become a good pitcher..
Eh let’s be honest, A’s are in a win now (on a budget) and will be selling off their assets in the coming years. A Luzardo type player will be back to the A’s in a few years. Olson alone will give the A’s their #1 starter for 2028.
I thought Phillies would go for him
Being an inner division rival, maybe the price the Marlins asked was to high for them. I’m betting they checked in at least
I hate being a Phillies fan
It’s not too late to change…
Haha
Yeah that must suck
There can be meaning in suffering.
Could be worse. You could be a Pirates fan
Why do you hate being a Phillies fan? Don’t you love Harper lol
You can bail. I will remain one until I die.
You’ve just got a perverse subconscious admiration of horses, right? 😉
The Starling Marte tour, coming to a payroll-conscious team near you.
The best war little to no money can buy.
Marlins including money in a deal… has anyone checked the wind chill in hell lately?
And in the same week that the Pirates included cash in the Frazier deal. The end is nigh!
If true, Marlins should be getting good value for Marte
Even the Marlins can’t out cheap the A’s
They’re paying the entire contract
Kim Ng prioritizing talent over money. This isn’t a Jeter trade.
Bet its buddy reed like 3 years after he mattered, and some other piece that doesnt matter, as predicted. Marlins never get value, and they move him somewhere with a questionable farm system…
well, i was right about the 3 years too late part….pay down the contract, and get a bust former prospect with an injury history for a star CFer….incredible
Luzardo could honestly be a stud…. He may be a bust but this could be Doyle Alexander john smoltz 2.0…. If he figures out how to stay healthy he could be an ace
Lofty…lofty there. The more likely comparable is that I learn to throw a baseball and make the majors at 35 than Luzardo and Smoltz become comparables. No offense. Just…c’mon…
If this was 3 years ago, I would agree it’s a great get, considering the rental (even though he is signable to a relatively cheap deal). My brain hurts right now, this is so Marlins. They’re also going to trade pitching for someone worse to “replace” Marte. Literal definition of Marlins organization
Kudos for remembering that 1987 trade. But at least Alexander went 9–0 with a 1.53 ERA to propel the Tigers to the division title.
Smoltz did not have an injury history when the Tiggers traded him. He could throw hard, but wasn’t yet A pitcher then.
Love it. Go A’s
Thought he was going to be a Brave before Pederson came.
Nice add by Oakland if this is indeed true
I think most would have been happy sending bryce Wilson for marte straight up
LETS GOOOOO
nevermind, dont understand giving up on luzardo for a rental
Luzardo might be broken tbh
Nice cope. Just be happy your team is finally making the big move to win now.
If so, we can fix him. Regardless its a great get for the Fish.
Sure, he went from dominating MLB to struggling at AAA. You don’t know what cope means, because it isnt that.
Interesting if Luzardo couldn’t have brought back a Scherzer or Berrios or another big bat. Wonder if this portends to broader negative Industry sentiment.
Gotta think Puk is on the table now too. Probably not Soderstrom unless its for someone controllable.
@ like al conin
Interesting if Luzardo couldn’t have brought back a Scherzer or Berrios or another big bat. Wonder if this portends to broader negative Industry sentiment.
—————————-
becuase i’m pretty sure Nats and Twins would need a helluva a lot more than just Luzardo. Especially the Twins.
Wow didn’t see this coming. Wonder if this makes a Bryant to Giants deal more likely? Those were the only two outfielders I’ve heard them really linked to
This is an odd fit
How? A’s COF have been bad outside of Canha. You really believe in Kemp and Brown? No.
This is pretty much a perfect fit for Oakland.
We have guys that can drive people in we just don’t have guys that get on base other than Canha.
I like how he’s made lots of changes in his approach this year, has it sunk in for other A’s fans that he’s a pretty much a .300/.400/.500 hitter? He’s like adding another Olson, or Olson-esque bat in the lineup. This move might make the A’s serious contenders now. I think getting Kimbrel and maybe a big hitting middle infielder would put them over the top, but this is a huge leap for them.
Puk has to be on the table now too.
That’s a big time move
I had them pegged for a Grossman reunion, but this makes sense. They won’t sign him after this season though
After giving up Luzardo, they better at least offer him one.
They won’t , it’s rental ,
Hold on….Rosenthal said it’s a done deal, that means that it is far from it.
What’s this mean for Ramon Laureano? He has like 2 starts in RF this year.
He can play right
Laureano is a far superior CF. Marte will move to a corner OF spot.
On the one hand. Marte will be the one moving to RF.
On the other, imagine being worried that a gold glove caliber CF wouldn’t be able to shift to RF.
just curious, not worried. And clearly Oakland isn’t either.
A’s could always put him in left field instead. That is the position where Marte won both his Gold Gloves at and has +71 DRS at.
Not only that, but can you imagine Laureano gunning down runners at third from RF? That guy’s arm is a cannon, he could easily handle RF.
Marte played left field for like 6 years in Pittsburgh. He can handle another outfield spot. Laureano is a beast in the OF – i would never move him out of center
OF will be Canha-Laureano-Marte or Marte-Laureano-Canha
It seems the expected team who dont go for that major move are in fact doing it. Whats next Toronto some blockbuster trade or a west coast team simply becoming overpowered?
Not much has been said about it, but it seems likely they’ll be some kind of restrictions/limitations out on game attendance in the coming two months, I would think that’s going to have an effect on how teams are looking at that time period. And for the lesser revenue clubs, its effect on Revenue Sharing.
It’s sad but true, especially in CA. I’m guessing they’ll put a mask mandate in place first (versus cutting attendance capacity) but it’s hard to enforce mask wearing outdoors. I can see them paring back to 50% capacity or even less come September at the latest. #FUPandemic!
Sterling move for Starling. They can use his help in their lineup. A’s are a little like TB, where do they dig some of these athletes up?
Luzardo coming home!! Lets go Fish!
Maybe a package of Puason and pieces?
It’s Luzardo-Marte straight up.
Womp womp. The cash inclusion must be pretty significant!
100% of the contract significant lol
“The A’s haven’t been mentioned as a primary suitor for Marte, who’s previously been linked to the Giants, Astros and Yankees.”
Perhaps that is because all of these “sources” are as legit as the “person close to the administration requesting anonymity as he is not authorized to speak publicly” that WaPo winked into being daily throughout Mr Trump’s presidency.
I don’t think it has anything to do with that. All those sources could very well be legit, perhaps those 3 teams all had some kind of contact with the Marlins, and the A’s were just far more tight-lipped about it.
Is this your alt account?
But WHY (generally speaking) would a team leak REAL stuff to the press, ever, or continue to employ someone who does?
Because no press is bad press. They leak information to the press all the time, especially during this time of year to help show other teams how much interest there is in their players. GMs do not share their interest in acquisitions with other GMs (except with the GM they are negotiating with) so the team uses the press to get this information out en masse so they can generate more interest from other GMs for their player and help get maximum returns on a trade. The press plays a very important part in trade deadline deals. While they may embellish the amount of teams interested in a player to the press, the information has to be grounded in some sort of truth so other GMs take it seriously.
@nuanced-just like Q, right?
Haha, cuz it was all roses under trumplethinskin
Luzardo for a rental though, ughhh
Well, if you don’t have the money to pay the player’s salary, you are going to have to give up the value in the player traded.
Facts.
@a’sukfan
Wait, now you don’t like the deal?
Didn’t I just see five posts of you ripping into others for the horrible sin of not loving everything the A’s do?
Heyman and Rosenthal just confirmed this. Let’s wait for a more competent reporter to confirm before we get excited.
Why the hate for Rosenthal? Him and Passan are the cream of the crop.
Michael Avanati has also reported it.
They were right. Let’s keep the Twitter hate trolls away from a serious place like MLBTR.
Dang! Luzardo? That’s a steep price
For Luzardo.
Jesus.
I think you meant “For Luzardo, Jesus”
Well I think he meant:
For luzardo?
Jesus!
They got Luzardo?! Hot damn. Steal for the Marlins.
Agreed. Fantastic trade for them.
Absolutely, given that Marte was gone after the season anyway. If they can get him right they’re going to be getting an top of the rotation pitcher. Great trade for them.
can he skip the final game against the padres plz k thnx, dude was a pest against SD pitching the last couple days
Not enough time to get him in the lineup today, but Pads will have to face him next week.
Miami building a great young pitching staff.
Alcantara, Hernadez, Rogers, Lopez with Sixto eventually returning, prospects like Edward Cabrera, Max Meyer, and now Luzardo? Miami has a very good young pitching core to build around.
And/or a very good group of young pitching to deal for young, promising position players too. Pitching is always the most volatile of prospect projections but if you get enough of it, it can be used to acquire some great position players. Miami appears to be going about this the right way. They’ll just need to some luck in both health and performance in order to trade some of this young, surplus pitching for young, talented offensive players. If all goes according to plan, Miami will have a 3-4 year window of contention with young, affordable stars who they can then cash in for the next group of talented youngsters, much like Tampa does today.
I honestly cannot believe that the A’s made this move. You know they aren’t going to sign Marte to an extension, but they’ll give up Luzardo for a couple months of Marte? I’m a big fan of Starling but he just isn’t worth that much.
Good for the A’s. Now keep an eye on what the Giants do, with one of their targets off the board.
Good for the A’s. Marlins got a deal too. Wonder if they try to move an arm for a bat in the offseason. Maybe Toronto can swing a deal
I feel this will definitely happen. Marlins have an army of talented SP’ing BEFORE this deal.
They’re most likely looking for another Gallen for Jazz type deal.
Marte been on fire lately. Will be fun to watch in Oakland. Like the trade!
One thing i’ve always liked about Marte – he always seems to get hits when the game is on the line. And he doesnt chase sliders in the dirt anymore like he once did. With Oakland’s current pitching staff, why not add a bat and go for it this year?
Give me a young starting pitcher with real potential over a rental CF any day of the week. Big win for Miami. Great trade for them.
Great trade for a team that is not getting them out of the basement in that division anytime soon – Oakland is gunning for a ring, I’d rather have Marte and a ring than Luzardo’s entire career.
I doubt the Marlins are going to be in the basement of the NL East for a while. They have one of, if not the best young pitching core. Alcantara, Rogers, Lopez, Hernandez, will eventually get back Sixto, have Meyer and Cabrera waiting in the wings. Now they have Luzardo. Heck, even Zach Thompson who they picked up as minor league flyer looked okay. Build up some bullpen arms, and put up a solid line-up and you’re looking at maybe one of the most underrated teams in the majors.
A’sfaninUK: Get your head out of your tail end. The Marlins are an up and coming team. They have several young guys (pitchers & position players) who are just coming into their own + they’ve got some money to spend to speed up the rebuild.
@Prospectnvstr you really think Luzardo is making ATL, WSN, NYM and PHIL irrelevant that division but surrreeee IM the one who’s head is up my butt!!!
The arrogance of people who are just flat out wrong these days is astonishing. You really do not know baseball if you think Miami is getting out of the cellar with this one trade for a currently-broken pitcher.
No one said that Jesus Luzardo is going to be their saving grace. Nobody said that the Marlins will be relying on Luzardo to be their long term ace. Luzardo just adds another highly talented arm to about 8 other highly talented arms. Alcantara, Hernandez, Lopez, Rogers, Cabrera, Meyer, Sanchez are their top rotation options for next year. Jordan Holloway and Zach Thompson could be in the mix as well. Now you add in Jesus Luzardo? Imo, that’s a ton of young pitching depth that can easily be built around. Luzardo doesn’t need to pan out for the Marlins to be good. Though if he does, he makes them a lot better.
Not to mention their handful of young batters. Even if their line-up ends up being about average next year, their pure pitching depth and talent will help them win a ton of games.
Well, you got Marte. I wouldn’t hold my breath for that WS title, though. Oakland is not beating SD or LA; and depending on what moves they make, SF, TB or HOU.
Or Boston for that matter. Chris Sale is back in MLB in less than 2 weeks so Boston’s SP is going to get a huge shot in the arm. Also, Houck is back and E-Rod seems to be figuring things out. If Sale is 85% of his normal, dominant self then Boston is going to be a tough team to beat in the playoffs. Look for them to add a veteran 1B by the end of the trade deadline. Their lineup will be set if they are able to do so. While they could add a bullpen arm as well, their bullpen has been excellent all season and they should be getting Brasier back for the stretch run too. Beware the Boston Red Sox!
Just keep the scissors away from Sale on retro jersey night 😉
Lol sure, because w Marte the A’s are the favorites! There is no ring forthcoming, A’sUK. He may help solidify the wc, that’s about it.
Not arguing that the trade was awful for Oakland, but I think the Marlins will win this one. Yr claim here is quite strange, though.
Wow @a’sukfan, back on the attack over a comment that you seemed to agree with in another post above?
You have seriously thin skin
The blockbuster trades have started… Next up Max Scherzer
Wow
Whoa – for Luzardo!
Congratulations Marlins! Huge haul for a rental and they did it right by paying the bill. Nice job
SMART MOVE BY MARLINS!
So the Marlins bought Luzardo.
Good for them.
Great trade for both teams! Miami gets another young pitcher with potentially electric stuff. Oakland possible lands one of the final pieces they will need to make a solid push in the playoffs. I like this deal for both teams!! Great job A’s and Marlins!!
This is extremely upsetting as an As fan. Luzardo has amazing stuff
Your move, Mariners
If this was like 3 years ago, this would have been pretty cool….but you have to be kidding. Worse than even I thought would happen, which is amazing. Obviously still young, but multiple injuries, turned into a reliever, poor results…in b4 they move pitching for a piece to supposedly replace Marte too lol. This organization hasnt changed at all
Have a feeling we’re gonna see about 5-10 trades today! The stove is LIT!!
He has 7 home runs not 4.
Luzardo has been getting smoked in the bigs. Not to say he doesn’t have potential, but he certainly hasn’t realized it.
The A’s need to make a push now as they have been unwilling to pay their stars. They didn’t even make QO to Simien. With Chapman and Olson coming up, they need on field success to make players want to stay. And then there is the stadium issue…
He’s been getting smoked at AAA also. There isn’t anything wrong with his arm, not sure if it the issue is mechanical, or more mental. Since last season, everything he throws is center cut,, and getting blasted. I hope he figures it out, seems like a great kid, but I think this is the right move for the A’s, as he’s fallen out of favor within the organization. Would have preferred he was traded for a controllable asset, but I can accept this trade without whining.
To be fair, all the pitchers are getting smoked in pcl especially pitching in Vegas. Hard to evaluate them
The interesting thing about Luzardo is that he hasn’t had much success at the MLB or AAA level. All of the performance from AA down. Not a large sample size, but enough in 185 innings pitched combined in MLB/AAA.
It all has to do with Irvin and Kaprielian being the guys everyone thought Puk and Luzardo would be – those 2 literally made the big prospects expendable.
Makes me wonder if Puk for Kimbrel might be the next move….
More. MOREEEE
Billy Beane is writing the script for Money Ball 2.
But the end of that movie needs a W.S. trophy
My opinion: Marte is not going to have any measurable impact on the A’s. They’d finish the same with or without him
To give up starting pitching depth for a rental that will not have any substantial effect on the outcome is not a good decision
prediction: Oakland will once again fail to advance past the ALDS because moneyball is a sham.
It’s not a sham for the teams that can back it up with big money! Dodgers and now it seems giants
And those no good saux from the city known as hell on earth Boston !
“Moneyball” is what gets them to the post season regularly despite having, at best, a bottom third of MLB payroll. If that is a sham what do you call what teams like the Mets and Angels. do?
You clearly don’t understand what ‘moneyball’ is if you think it’s a sham. The Rays use moneyball. The Red Sox and Dodgers have used moneyball to win championships. The As have been a very successful franchise under Beane despite spending far less money than franchises who have had less success than they have.
Moneyball is simply using advanced stats and metrics to identify and exploit market inefficiencies (ie, figure out what the market is undervaluing) in order to maximize the value of every dollar spent (ie, get the most bang for your buck). Neither the As nor Beane invented it and nearly every team in baseball currently employs some form of it. To call it a ‘sham’ is peak ignorance.
Darkside, you sound like fake Joe Morgan (Ron Canada’s voice) from the movie. Lol at the notion that you can build a winning team that “can’t win in the playoffs”.
If they were depending on a guy with a 6 something era for starting pitcher depth they should be selling instead of buying.
Pretty good return for Marte.
Wonder if the Marlins trade from their surplus of starters.
Be awesome if the Padres were to acquire someone like Pablo Lopez or Edward Cabrera.
Pablo/Bass for Gore and Campusano should get it done.
Honestly this feels like a lose-lose trade. With OAK and MIA both being small-market teams, it’s highly unlikely that either of Marte or Luzardo will be extended after the current contract situations are up. Displacing Laureano and Canha in the outfield by someone in his 30s feels like a major mistake, especially when you give up on a talent like Luzardo. And with Miami’s history of payroll concerns, they won’t have room to extend their young core of players. Given Sixto’s existing injury concerns, pairing him with Luzardo’s fragile arm is downright baffling. Miami is betting big that both pitchers stay healthy, something that has yet to happen. If you ask me, the roster construction here is pretty suspect…
No one is being displaced in Oakland though. They have a hole in RF to fill.
Is Marte an upgrade over Piscotty, Pinder, or Kemp? Sure. But acquiring a rental OF and giving up on a young talent like Luzardo is not worth it. At the very least, the A’s should be searching for controllable OF help, knowing that Marte will most likely not be resigned. Not an A’s fan, but I sense this is the general sentiment of most fans around the league.
Guessing here, but FOR THIS YEAR acquiring a rental OF for a currently injured and underperforming top talent like Luzardo makes sense. Trades of controllable players are more likely to occur in the off season, when payroll is not so limiting. You can’t trade for something that is not being shopped. It would not surprise me if the A’s feel this is their best opportunity. Arbitration raises may force a trade in the off season (Chapman), leaving them in a less likely position to compete next year. Now, or wait a few years down the road.
When you can get Luzzardo for a rental, you always say yes no matter what.
They’ll get an upgrade in defense in CF over Laureano. But outfield defense really doesn’t make much of a difference. Yes, it matters, but it’s not as important.
And whatever Marte hits, even if it’s above average, it won’t make much difference over Laureano
Marte isn’t a better CF than Laureano and won’t be playing CF for Oakland. RF unless Cahna moves to RF.
Statcast data says Marte is near gold glove level in CF and Laureano is average to below average in CF
Mainly it’s outfielder jump and OAA that shows Marte is one of the better CFs in the league
If you look at past seasons they tend to be about the same. They are both great in CF. I’d bet Laureano stay in CF as they would be unlikely to displace him for a rental piece.
What a very strange take. The Marlins aren’t counting on Sixto and Luzardo to be their aces, it would be very beneficial if they played to their ceilings obviously, but Alcantara and Lopez are pretty much established top 30 pitchers with Rogers showing very positive signs in his rookie season. That’s not to mention good depth at the MLB level in Hernández, Thompson, Poteet, Garrett, Holloway, Neidert as well as top prospects in Cabrera, Meyer, and Eder.
In regards to control, Luzardo is controllable until 2027, does it really matter if they’re going to keep him or not at the time of the trade? Plus, they’ve had talks with Alcantara on an extension.
@Oof 2027??? Ya that’s definitely wrong he came up 2019 more like 2025
Saw someone on Twitter say 2027, BRef says 2026. Regardless, he has a good amount of control left
Jesus Christ that rotation depth is unreal
This trade is nothing but awesome for MIA. A guy who’s not that far removed from being a top 10 prospect in baseball for a two month rental?
I agree with my stalker. Sorry for stalking you in return. I do love you.
@Remove parody remember this?
mlbtraderumors.com/2019/03/west-notes-tatis-jr-d-b…
Why do you change your username and have conversations with yourself? WHY!?
I wanna know why Tipsy!
I WANNA KNOW WHY TIPSY!
Tipsy McStagger is a character on the Simpsons.
Earth to Dombrowski come in Dave
no one was competing with that offer
Phillies will not be trading for kris Bryant either , call it a great hunch
OK…..interesting.
I know my friend @Ducky Buckin Fent- will not be happy with this trade. He wanted Marte on the Yankees. I want a power lefty like Gallo or Kepler. The Yanks are like 2.5 games out of a wild card. Two more months to go. The season is far from over. I love it when the Yankees are doubted. So please keep doubting them people.
The Twins will not be trading Kepler, I hope.
@DT.J.B.- what would the Twins be looking for in a trade for Kepler? Young starting pitching? The Yankees got plenty. I think Max is a better player then Gallo. I want whoever is cheaper
Probably young pitching yeah. I won’t pretend to know about any pitching prospects for NY but would hope they are less than a year away if that’s the case.
What is the obsession with Kepler? I don’t get it.
Fent moves on quickly though, @Yankee-4-Lifer75.
I am now firmly on the Gallo train. He’s not a rental either. So that’s to the good. I would love to see that bat penciled in to the 3 spot.
Mercy.
Also: “The season is far from over”.
Yee-up. We are the damn Yankees. The hardest team to kill in all sports. Remember in ’16 when we sold* yet still put up 85 wins & were in the WC hunt until mid/late September?
Count us out at your own risk.
*that’s how you do a rebuild, fellas. None of this losing 100 games/year stuff.
It’s not a good baseball move but it’s a wise move in terms of optics to the fan base
They lose valuable, talented SP depth by losing Luzardo, and probably don’t get any substantial improvement with Marte
But it looks like they’re doing something to compete. Positive optics is really the only thing they get
Marte could get hot and go on a tear, but losing or gaining one position player usually doesn’t make much difference
optics dont win you games
Right, but it’s still important for team and fan morale. It would be foolish to totally reject the dynamics of chemistry and morale for a purely analytical process approach. I know everyone has been trained to snicker and laugh at the concept of “clubhouse chemistry” because of the analytics movement, but good GMs take into account both analytics and subjective factors
The A’s had to do something to avoid demoralizing the fan base. It probably won’t work and they lose Luzardo, so it’s a bad baseball move, but what they’re gaining is better fan morale
People will mock that and laugh now, but it matters. Fan morale and clubhouse morale also is part of the equation
Great trade for the Marlins. Better than extending Marte.
Oakland is preparing for two World Series losses this decade…to the Cubs and Braves.
Braves typically just win division. Very rarely do they win it all…as rare as Halley’s comet
Still an unimpressive outfield for the A’s.
Canha/Marte/Laureano is a terrific outfield. And Seth Brown/Stephen Piscotty aren’t bad as #4/5 outfielders. Dunno what you’re talking about.
Wait what?
what a joke of a team. this is what moneyball gets you.
Really? The A’s are a pretty successful franchise last I checked.
what have they accomplished recently?
Consistently winning.
they dont win jack after game 162.
That goes for a lot of teams. In any given ten year period, at least 20 teams have failed to get a ring. You called them “a joke of a team”. They are nowhere near that.
They have been more relevant then the phillies despite having a 1/3rd of the payroll
i have standards
I know you in real life and clearly, you don’t.
They go out and get one of the best outfielders on the market for a pitcher who’s struggled. Admittedly, Luzardo is talented, but if you have a chance to go deep in the playoffs, you take it.
except they didn’t need to give up Luzardo, but because they cant pay $4 million they had to.
The last four years, the As have had winning percentages of .599, .599, .600, and now .549. But do go on with your ignorance.
A’s must think Luzardo is really broken.
Nice move for both teams. Shame, I hate the Marlins lol
I honestly like it for both teams. Strong win-now push by the A’s and another talented young pitcher with years of control for the Marlins. Think the Marlins win this in the end, but love that the A’s are going for it.
Marte will look good in the Kelly Green with that sexy black body
This is MLB Trade Rumors, not MLB Wet Dreams.
When he wipes his sexy bicep against his sweaty forehead, I just lose it.
The A’s turn junk balling finesse guys like Cole Irvin and Chris Bassitt into legitimate quality starters. Not so much w their big power arms. They must really think Jesus is broken. They would know best. Typically not a bad FO so I’ll give them some rope. But this looks like a fantastic deal for Miami anyway you shake it.
This could turn out to be a good move for both teams if the athletics make a deep playoff run. Been awhile since I’ve been on here too!
Go Marlins, you screwed ‘em on that one!
If that’s being screwed, I’m pretty sure most contenders would love to have been screwed by the Marlins.
Sounds painful. They have that pointy beak.
Good swap for both teams. If Luzardo gets back on track advantage Marlins.
I understand what the A’s are thinking though. They figure Luzardo’s command is never going to be there, might as well flip him for Marte and move on to something else
Although he’s still only 23 and 5 yrs control. But obvious he wasn’t ready and has homer prone issues
A’s in 5
Win/Win, imo. Marte should make a difference, and Luzardo is no longer a sure thing. For Miami, they are getting a former top-10 prospect, who was performing well as recently as last year.
as a yankees fan this hurts our chances, but i love when teams actually go for it. this is the kind of fun deal you used to see every year: a legit veteran rental for a legit prospect. i’m also rooting for ng to build a winner down the line
This is a rare comment that makes me happy. I can tell you love the game. I too can appreciate a good trade or well-earned success of a player or team outside of my own team fandom.
Marlins rotation set up to look real real good for years to come.
And deep as Hell. They should be able to cash some of it in for some young hitting.
I suspected Luzardo was going to be the player dangled if the A’s were going to make a play for one of the top players on the trade market. It would be nice if they could get someone to bite on Logan Davidson to get a quality reliever under team control.
Good trade if Luzardo doesn’t go through TJ procedure within a year which is a common occurrence when you trade for pitchers from the Indians, Rays, and A’s.
he already had one before he was drafted, right? but he’s had some arm issues since too.
Great trade for both teams. Big upside for Marlins, but the A’s probably feel fine with giving up someone who right now only has “potential.”
Overpay
Kim Ng best GM in baseball with this move.
Liuzardo is talented but still very young and learning. Whether Jesus figures it out – and stays heathy – only time will tell. A’s future is now as is Marte’s. It’s a fair trade for both teams. I still believe the A’s could astonish Texas acquiring Gallo how has one more year before hitting free agency. Joey is a gold glove RF, has a powerful arm and incredible bat power. Oh well A’s can’t have it all…
Marte has 7HR not 4
A for the A’s. A top bat, defender, and runner for free! Sure Luzardo has talent but they felt they couldn’t develop it. Marlins felt this was better than a draft pick or the slight risk Marte took the one year money. A win win trade.
I’ve thought for some time now that Javy Báez fits Oakland like a glove. Still time.
I think both sides did good on this trade
@ A’sFaninLondonUK –
Curious to hear your take. It was a pretty hefty price, but I like this trade for the A’s.
Marlins get another potential top of the rotation arm for a guy that wasn’t gonna stay in Miami past this year, while the A’s get a chance to go deeper in the playoffs. Win-win in my eyes. I do question why they gave up on Luzardo so quickly though. Trade may look terrible if he gets it back together and Marte is not part of a bigger puzzle to a championship run.
Luzardo fell from grace quickly in Oakland. Good pickup for the Marlins as they get a potential rotation piece in Luzardo and a possible replacement for Marte in Bryan De La Cruz from the Astros for Yimi Garcia.
I thought the Phillies would be in on Marte. Either DD got aced again or maybe he’s losing his touch
Luzardo is pure trash! Can’t even get a guy out down in AAA. That injury killed his career. A’s just effectively got Starling Marte for free.
Congrats, you win dumbest post of the day
Last start at AAA….4.2 innings pitched 7 hits allowed 7 runs allowed 4 walks allowed 3 hit batters LOSS. The stats don’t lie. You can wish him to be that can’t miss prospect all you’d like but reality is he’s a prospect that missed and Oakland unloaded a problem.
Someone asked in a chat recently if Joey Bart might be an option for the Marlins and with so many of the Giants starters hitting FA after this season I wonder if there’s a chance Miami follows this up by sending a package built around of those arms for him.
This is actually a very plausible scenario. Those two teams match up quite well for a Bart/young pitching swap.
I love the Jesus Lizard!
Jesus is the Lizard King, he can do anything. Except not break his hands while playing video games.
The Marlins are going to have a very good pitching staff for a very long time. They have a massive amount of exciting young talent now in addition to their already studly rotation, from near MLB-ready guys (Max Meyer, Edward Cabrera), to promising younger guys at the lower levels (Jake Eder, Eury Perez) as well. There is no doubt that Kim Ng will trade some of that surplus for some young hitting at some point, which means the Marlins should finally be quite interesting again, possibly starting next season.
The A’s should just bench Moreland and play one of their 4 outfielders (usually whichever one is the weakest fielder) at DH most of the time, not just against lefties. I mean, even against righties, would you rather have Moreland or Piscotty in the lineup?
Hopefully Luzardo will benefit from a scene change. He gets to come home to his childhood team. That’s pretty cool for him. Going through his Twitter feed and such you would definitely think so.
I wonder what else was out there for Marte. I think people expected too much. He wasn’t going to get Bart and barely start the conversation for him.
Definitely more trades on the horizon. Very possible some starter(s) get traded in the off season for offensive help.
Developing Luzardo may be a bit easier as well as a couple starters are already around to take the “ace” mantle for the team. Sandy wants it, Rogers deserves it, and most people think Sixto can take it. I’m personally very high on Meyers. Should be interesting to see what happens. I believe Mattingly what’s to have Luzardo start in the rotation immediately… Which… Ok?
I’m an A’s but good God this is what they do every year. Over pay for a rental and get
Eliminated in the 1st round. How can you justify this trade?
WOW. Great deal for Miami
I like Luzardo a lot and hope for the best with him in his home town. I think the trade was good for the both sides, Oakland to make a run this year by filling a hole that has existed all year in the outfield and the Marlins get a prospect with a ton of upside. Something that hasn’t been mentioned
Is that this will energize the A’s clubhouse and they could go on a nice run. They’ve been a second half club for a while now and investing in the current team without giving up major league talent (like in the Cespedes trade!) is huge!
Interesting trade in that the Marlins get another arm with potential. At least this one is a lefty. We have quite a bit of trade bait for a bat.