Left-hander Jesus Luzardo has won his arbitration hearing against the Marlins, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (Twitter link). The arbiter’s ruling means that Luzardo will earn his desired $2.45MM salary in 2023, rather than the Marlins’ submitted figure of $2.1MM.
Luzardo becomes the second Miami player (and the second MVP Sports Group client) to win an arb hearing in as many days, after Luis Arraez was victorious Thursday in his bid to earn a larger salary. Jon Berti is also slated for a hearing in the coming days, unless he and the Marlins agree ahead of time on a contract to avoid arbitration.
This is the first of four trips through the arb process for Luzardo, as a Super Two player. The extra year of arbitration eligibility makes this hearing decision a particularly nice result for Luzardo, since the $2.45MM provides a higher starting platform for his future earnings. Both figures from Luzardo and the Marlins were above the $2MM projection of Matt Swartz’s arbitration model.
One of baseball’s best pitching prospects during his time in the Athletics’ farm system, Luzardo made his MLB debut in 2019, and then finished eighth in AL Rookie Of The Year voting in 2020 when he posted a 4.12 ERA over 59 innings in the shortened season. Just when it seemed like Luzardo was going to be Oakland’s next building block, however, he struggled badly at both the Major League and Triple-A levels in 2021, and also missed time with a fractured pinkie finger.
With the A’s vying for a playoff berth (and facing an imminent fire sale that offseason), Luzardo was dealt to the Marlins in a one-for-one trade for Starling Marte at the deadline. As well as Marte played in his brief time in Oakland, it wasn’t enough to get the Athletics into the postseason, while the Marlins picked up a controllable and talented arm who already looks to have benefited from the change of scenery.
Luzardo didn’t pitch well for Miami during the remainder of the 2021 campaign, but then posted a 3.32 ERA and a strong 30% strikeout rate over 100 1/3 innings in his first full season as a Marlin. The southpaw’s 2022 performance wasn’t without some hiccups, however, as his 8.8% walk rate was below average and he spent over two months on the 60-day injured list due to a forearm strain. Fortunately, Luzardo returned from that worrisome injury in good form, posting a 3.03 ERA over his final 12 starts and 71 1/3 innings of the season.
Some more trade rumors swirled around Luzardo this winter, as the Marlins were openly looking to move one of their starters (except Sandy Alcantara or top prospect Eury Perez) in exchange for a hitting upgrade. Luzardo was reportedly floated to the Mets in a possible offer involving Brett Baty, though ultimately, Pablo Lopez ended up being the starter on the move, as Miami sent Lopez to the Twins as part of the four-player trade that brought Arraez onto the roster. With Lopez now gone, the Marlins are counting on Luzardo to take another step forward, and perhaps even establish himself as the rotation’s number two pitcher.
DEFEAT… Oh, we’re not doing it like that this year
MARLINS LOSE AGAIN. As always.
Jesus Luzardo and his agents VANQUISH the puny mortal Kim Ng in an arbitration duel
Jesus always wins!
This will never get old. Nope, never.
Arraez leads the way. New team he hasn’t even swung a bat for and he gets paid!! Legend of the arb game
Marlins Defeated.
There will be a lot of that in 2023
That’s going to hurt the budget. Time to trade some up and coming stars.
If $300k hurts the budget that much they have much bigger problems.
1.1M + 300k = 1.4M. That’s a big amount of money being dished out by the Marlins. Time to cut some players so they don’t come anywhere near the tax threshold. Marlin’s team isn’t even worth $1B. How do you expect them to afford $1.4M? 😀
MIA about as good in arbitration as they are on the field. Huzzah!
Luzardo/Arraez 2 vs. Marlins 0
Trade him to the Twins for Kepler. LOL
Fun fact: I can name the entire monopoly board all the way around.
Which Monopoly?
The OG
Love it! Impressive man.
How many dice dots represent snake eyes?
Underrated comment.
That’s cool and all, but I have the Trouble board memorized.
Man, it could be coincidental, but the Marlins seem to need to rethink their strategy or their personnel regarding arbitration.
lol Kim Ng was praised for her arb work in her career.
If that system has passed her by—imagine how far behind she is on analytics?
go woke = go broke. This is what happens when your hired for any reason other than competence.
Glad Luzardo won his case. I hope he goes out and shreds opposing hitters.
I second this. As an Angels fan, I was so glad to see him out of the Oakland rotation. That move didn’t seem very “Oakland-y” – they usually trade *for* young pitching.
I like Luzardo’s stuff.
Glad Luzardo won his case. I hope he goes out and shreds up opposing hitters this year.
Two in a row, bad vibes coming from Miami right now, they need to change the karma b4 ST.
I would think players winning arb cases would make them happier
Yea but losing to the players makes the fish more sadder.
Eury Perez link is wrong – correct one is
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=perez-003eur
So dumb of the Marlins to fight over such a small amount.
You sound like you’re very aware of how arbitration affects how a player gets paid in later years.
Not.
Trading 5+ years of Luzardo for 2 months of Marte is one of the worst trades the A’s ever made.
I know 2021 was the A’s last chance to contend however the window slammed shut in 2022.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the Warriors owner bought the A’s!
The marlins paid Marte’s salary too.
If fisher was willing to open his wallet a little bit
more. As in, just not giving up better prospects because he doesn’t want to pay that salary. Team would be so much better off.
Even in the off-season, the marlins found a way to lose