The Marlins are open to offers on center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. and will have multiple bullpen pieces available in the next three weeks, but they’re not planning to move anyone and everyone on the roster. Craig Mish of the Miami Herald reports that the Fish aren’t going to move lefty Jesus Luzardo until he’s fully healthy again, which likely points to an offseason trade or even a deal at next year’s deadline. Mish adds that Bryan De La Cruz and Jesus Sanchez are both likely to stay in South Florida as well. De La Cruz has already drawn interest, but he and Sanchez are both controllable through the 2027 season.
With regard to Luzardo, the notion of holding onto him is rather straightforward. The talented 26-year-old is on the 60-day injured list due to a stress reaction in his lower back. That 60-day term will extend beyond the July 30 trade deadline. Trading Luzardo right now would require selling low, and for a pitcher of his caliber with two remaining seasons of club control, that’s not a palatable course of action. It’s likely possible that a club could still obtain Luzardo by blowing the Marlins away with an offer commensurate with that of one for a healthy Luzardo — but it’s also highly unlikely a team would make that type of offer with Luzardo ailing.
Beyond that, the southpaw simply didn’t pitch up to his capabilities prior to landing on the shelf. Perhaps that back injury played a role, and Luzardo also had a brief IL stint for some elbow tightness early in the season. Whether he’s been fully healthy at any point this season isn’t clear, but the lefty has been tagged for a 5.00 ERA in 66 2/3 frames.
It’s an unflattering mark, though a 21.2% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate are both portents for some improvement. And it’s of course important to emphasize how good Luzardo was in the two prior seasons; the former third-round pick who once rated as the sport’s top left-handed pitching prospect started 50 games and notched a 3.48 ERA with a huge 28.7% strikeout rate and sharp 7.9% walk rate in 279 innings from 2022-23. He averaged 96.7 mph on his heater in those two years, though this year’s average fastball dipped to 95.5 mph — still a strong mark but a red flag for a pitcher who hasn’t been at his best.
If Luzardo is able to return from his back injury in the second half and close out the year in good health, then offseason interest should be robust. He won’t turn 27 until Sept. 30, still boasts a power arsenal, is only earning $5.5MM this season and is controlled through 2026 via arbitration. That type of pitcher should command a significant prospect haul — the type that’s extremely unlikely to be available when Luzardo is on the 60-day IL and questions about his ability to recover from this back injury persist. Luzardo has reportedly continued to draw interest while on the injured list, but it’s safe to presume the offers aren’t close to what they’d be if he were healthy and performing as he did in 2022-23.
As for the pair of outfielders, neither is a household name but both De La Cruz and Sanchez have shown some upside with the bat in the past. They’re both having below-average seasons at the plate in 2024 but have roughly average batting lines in their careers to date. De La Cruz is 27 years old. Sanchez is just 26.
De La Cruz is hitting .237/.286/.410 this season (94 wRC+). He’s popped 15 home runs and is on pace for a new career-high, but his 26% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate both offset some of that solid power. Sanchez is hitting a comparable .239/.291/.386 (92 wRC+) with nine home runs. He strikes out a bit less (23.6%) and walks at a similar 5.8% clip. Both players have notable platoon splits. The left-handed-hitting Sanchez is batting .270/.323/.445 against righties but just .091/.130/.159 against lefties (albeit in only 44 plate appearances). The righty-hitting De La Cruz has hit lefties at a .288/.318/.464 pace but floundered to a .210/.269/.380 line against righties.
There’s a case for the two to simply be platooned, and perhaps on a deeper roster that’d be how they’re utilized. But the Marlins are thin on outfielders as it is, and trading one or both Sanchez and De La Cruz — likely at a fairly low rate — would only further expose that deficiency. With three seasons of remaining club control apiece, there’s no urgency to move either. A big second half or strong start to the 2025 season could increase the trade value of either player.
Sanchez, in particular, has displayed some tantalizing batted-ball metrics that could signify the potential for growth. He’s averaged a whopping 93.5 mph off the bat this season with a huge 51% hard-hit rate. Those figures rank in the 96th and 94th percentile of MLB hitters, respectively. It’s also worth noting that current Marlins president Peter Bendix knows Sanchez well from his prospect days in the Rays system, where Bendix previously served as general manager. (Although that also means that Bendix was in the Tampa Bay front office when Sanchez was traded for Nick Anderson and Trevor Richards.)
Neither De La Cruz or Sanchez is blocking anyone really so might as well hang onto them and hope they turn things around.
Both have shown flashes to the point I agree with you not worth moving on just yet especially with nobody in the pipeline to replace them
Does your employer know that you don’t provide any positive benefits to your company?
They’re probably either unemployed or soon to be.
@baseball_is_boring
Yes, they already know that about these players. That’s why they’re hanging onto them. No value or benefit that other teams would want.
Addison Russell and Julio Urias are available as well. The Marlins won’t have an issue hitting going forward; that is as long as the opponents are women.
Aroldis Chapman might be on the move
Peter Bendix is woeful in his tenure running this team.
I have yet to see anything good from Bendix since taking over the Marlins. He was handed a young team that was 2 or 3 pieces shy of being competitive. However, made no moves during the offseason and instead has managed to turn an upcoming contender to a hybrid MLB-AAA team
@kbr
You basically covered this well. It’s puzzling what he’s doing. I’ve never seen a rebuild where you take a team with pieces that are in their ages 28 or younger years, and tarde everything away. Makes no sense, especially when the Marlins were a Closer and some position player pieces away from being more stable as a contender.
This hold thing is ridiculous.
Kbr
Completely agree, the decision to trade a batting champ, paying his salary and the headliner of the trade needed hip surgery two games into his marlins career told me all I needed to know. At least there sitting Dane tonight he’s really been making everyone look bad the last few games. Can’t have that
Trevor rhymes with never.
They would be selling low on Luzardo so it’s best to keep him.
Makes sense. No team wants an injured pitcher or batters that are 10% below league average at creating runs. No thanks. They can say in Miami.
Translation: we’re not making a move unless someone pays out the nose
Oh, heaven forbid Miami doesn’t want to trade Luzardo. Whatever will the Orioles do?
I know a certain poster that his looking for a ledge right now considering how he’s been all over these boards trying to sell everyone on the garbage the O’s will get Luzardo for. I imagine he’s staying clear from this article’s posts.
I can understand keeping Luzardo but they probably need to deal a starter. Perhaps Rogers gets moved. He only has 2 years of control left after 2024.
I imagine this is a tough article for you and how your constant posts have had the bubble bursted.
So, which starter on the Marlins will you start posting over and over and over again about that will be traded for dime-a-dozen, garbage prospects?
Dude the Marlins should have traded Luzardo last offseason.
You do understand that Alcantara and Perez are coming back from injury next year right? And Max Meyer is still in AAA?
You tell me the Marlins opening day starting rotation for 2025.
the reporter Craig Mish just needs to officially change his last name to Fish….I keep thinking it says ‘the Fish reports’ etc. and think it’s a typo lol
Guess they are hoping that they build even more value so they can get more in return
De La Cruz isn’t getting the Marlins more than what he is right now. He’s a solid player that does a nice job. Maybe he improves slightly more, but it’s unlikely to be much more.
I wonder if the Marlins would be inclined at all to trade Eury Perez. I’d give up Christian Scott and Drew Gilbert for him but I don’t think that would be enough
Should have traded all these guys in November, like I said. Zero direction in this organization; They desperately need to hit big in this coming draft
This team not hit anything in the draft since the new ownership took over. There is literally one position player they drafted in fortes that hitting 170. They have consistently missed in every draft the past 6 years you’d thing dumb luck they’d find someone
I see zero lies, but I’ll also add that regardless of any of that, it’s also the abhorrent asset management, the trademark of this organization for 17+ years