The Cubs pulled out of an offseason trade agreement with the Marlins that would have sent Jesús Luzardo to Chicago after a review of the lefty’s medical records, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Luzardo spent time on the injured list last season with both elbow inflammation and a lumbar stress reaction in his back; the latter injury kept him from pitching after late June. Specifics on the return that the Cubs would have sent to Miami remain unreported.
It stands to reason the trade would have occurred in the middle of December. Rosenthal writes that the Luzardo talks took place after the team’s two-year agreement with Matthew Boyd on December 2. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported on December 14 that the Cubs had shown interest in Luzardo. Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reported two days later that the Cubs were pushing to get a deal done. By December 19, Levine had reported that talks were essentially dead.
Miami pivoted quickly, trading Luzardo to the Phillies on December 22. Philadelphia sent prospects Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd to their division rivals while also acquiring minor league catcher Paul McIntosh. The Cubs aimed lower in their rotation pursuit. They signed swingman Colin Rea to a one-year, $5MM deal in January. Rea began the season as the sixth starter but has drawn into the rotation after Chicago lost Justin Steele to season-ending UCL surgery.
In his first session with Philadelphia media around the New Year, Luzardo said he’d “felt 100% the whole offseason.” He noted that the back injury had impacted him for most of the ’24 season before becoming something through which he could no longer pitch. He said in December that he felt it was “all figured out” and “back to normal.”
The Phillies were clearly comfortable with their review. It’s not unheard of for teams to have differing evaluations on a player’s medicals. The Yankees pulled out of a Jack Flaherty deadline deal before he was traded to the Dodgers last summer. The Braves and Orioles each backed out of free agent agreements with Jeff Hoffman prior to his three-year deal with the Blue Jays. They’re not completely analogous — free agent signees go through a physical examination, while teams usually just review the medical records of their trade targets — but this isn’t unique.
Luzardo has gotten out to a fantastic start with the Phils. He’s averaging just over six innings per appearance and owns a 2.08 earned run average through 30 1/3 frames. He has fanned 30% of opponents while averaging 96.4 MPH on his fastball — a tick above last season’s 95.2 mark. None of that guarantees that he’ll stay healthy, of course, but the Phillies are surely pleased with the early returns.
The southpaw will take the ball at Wrigley Field tomorrow opposite Ben Brown in the second game of a weekend set. He’s making $6.225MM this season and will likely earn something in the $10-12MM range for his final arbitration trip in 2026. Luzardo will hit free agency in advance of his age-29 campaign two years from now.
FKN Cubs
Your name is great
Cubs gonna Cubs
I understand that he has gotten off to a solid start, but again I feel like the Cubs need a sure thing top-of-the-rotation guy. Not really sure this would have filled that need at the time anyways even with Steele being uninjured at the time.
I know this one: sour grapes
I am not sour at all. I just want the Cubs to get a consistent beginning of the rotation guy with a proven track record. We do not need anymore 3, 4, or 5 spot guys in the rotation. We have plenty of those both at the big league level and farm already. I am well aware of hour cheap Jed is.
The guy has pitched over 100 innings twice in his career (101 one year) and is definitely no “sure-thing.” Middle to end of the rotation guy, we do not need that.
Boyd is no sure thing either. Luzardo is leading the league in FIP he’s certainly pitching like an ace so far. It’s early but he’s pitched great.
I agree Boyd is not, definitely not saying he was the answer either. But in terms of back end rotation, I would rather not give up a top 100 prospect when I could just go out and get a guy like Boyd who has a decent track record.
Well the Cubs could have spent the money saved from not signing Boyd on a legit 3b. That was an option.
We had the money to sign both Bregman and Scott if we did not have cheap management lol. That has nothing to do with it.
You can always complain your team should have spent more money. What I said is they could have taken the money they spent on Boyd and put it towards 3b.
What 3B did you want for $14.5MM? That really wasn’t enough for a solid 3B in this past winters FA market.
Ok pen help then. The Cubs did and still do need help at both 3b and the pen.
Dude, you just keep digging simply to argue.
Literally just said we could have gotten Bregman and Scott if we were willing to bite the luxury tax bullet that would be associated with it, and being the Cubs and having Marquee now, they sure as hell do.
Cubber4415: The cubs already have a top of rotation guy. His name is Imanaga.
You need more than one top of the rotation guy to seriously compete in the playoffs. Some teams even have 3.
Like I said all teams fans can complain their team could have spent more money. But the Cubs spent x amount of dollars and I am saying spending more on 3b and the pen would have been a better use of the funds they actually did spend
Cubber – that’s all he does is argue for the sake of arguing. It’s his thing.
So you want to sit here and make arguments that Jesús Luzardo may be the best pitcher in baseball right now, but now are refusing to take that same short, narrow-minded, and terrible approach when looking at Boyd….. using your approach, Boyd would have been a phenomenal way to spend that capital. Make what you’re saying make sense, lol.
Luzardo didn’t cost as much money. What Luzardo would have costed was prospects but the Cubs have plenty of those. And yeah Boyd looks good so far. If it wasn’t for the Steele injury the Cubs pitching would be fine right now.
Okay! Thanks for proving my point! AT THE TIME OF FREE AGENCY WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT BREGRMAN AND SCOTT. Thanks!
You can always just spend more money fella. You sound like an ungrateful fan.
This comment proves exactly why Cubs fans are the stupidest fans in the sport.
Philadelphia didnt give up anything that cant be replaced but I like Caba, 15BB to 7K, the hits will come. Miami had the depth in the rotation, with Garrett and Weathers both out, that depth shortens up a bit. They still have one of the better front three in Alcantara, Meyer and Cabrera, and they’ll get Eury Perez back later this summer. Agustn Ramirez is going to be a great player. They are scoring runs and winning games.
Luzardo has been great for the Phillies, these trades can certainly make a difference. I dont think even the Marlins thought they could be competitive this season.
See Cubbie fans, Hoyer was at least trying. Your boy was working the phones, medicals spooked him. Trade deadline may pan out. Keep hope alive. Best team in the NL. (Non-snark).
He also tried with 200000 other people and took “second place”
“Sure thing top of the rotation starter”????
I’m guessing Yamamoto and Skenes aren’t available. Skubal? Nope. Wheeler…probably not.
Let’s see….that pretty much exhausts that list.
I am more that comfortable in believing that there’s ample stuff going on that all the experts on this site just aren’t privy to.
You simply make it happen lol. Other teams find ways. If you really believe in your roster, you make it happen.
Partially explains why the Phillies got him for so such a lacklustre package.
Caba was a big get for Luzardo. Scouts compare his defensive upside with Andrelton Simmons.
Caba. Next Ozzie Smith.
I think both Boyd and Luzardo are big time health risks. I think the risk made sense for the Cubs at the time in either case because they had depth but now with Steele being out for the year the Cubs need more help.
Injury histories are not a stereotype. It’s a track record. While I wish him continued success, don’t be surprised when he breaks down again at some point this season.
Lots of fellow Os fans were clamoring for Elias to go get this guy, but seems there was/is good reason for pause.
Luzardo is leading the league in FIP. And the Orioles signed Morton who is one of if not the worst pitcher in all of baseball right now.
Elias is looking like a fool at the moment. Let’s be honest.
Let’s be honest. You are incapable of proper reading comprehension, as usual.
My point is that he will break down again.
He’s always shown flashes. We all know that. However, Luzardo has never been able to sustain production before he succumbs to an injury. It’s inevitable.
Luzardo is perhaps the best pitcher in all of baseball at the moment. And Morton perhaps the worst. You have no idea who will be healthy from here on out so stop pretending like you do. What we do know is so far Crochet and Luzardo, the 2 lefty starters traded in the offseason, are pitching like aces and the Orioles have no ace. We know that.
Luzardo has started more than 18 games in a season a grand total of once.
That was in ‘23 when he earned more than half of his career WAR in that single season.
In his 7 MLB season, his 2nd most innings pitched in a season is 100 1/3.
You can just say I’m right about his injury history and track record and move along.
Lol. No, you just do not see it skins! He is GARUNTEED to stay healthy and now will keep pitching as the best pitcher in the MLB! He is not due for regression at all! At this point the pirates should trade Skenes and O’neil Cruz for him! What a move by the 0.500 Phillies!
The Orioles need pitching help yes or no?
Heck the Orioles traded for a lefty starter with the freaking Marlins within the last year they just picked the wrong guy they got Rogers not Luzardo.
Dude. The title and point of the article is about how the Cubs passed on Luzardo because of his medicals. It’s not about how you feel like you can armchair QB about how the Os need pitching help.
Now that we’re a month into the season and they’re without their number 1 and 2 in GRod and Elfin, you’re just picking low hanging fruit that anyone with half a brain can do.
I said all offseason the Orioles needed an ace and they also needed a lefty starter. Even if Efflin and Rodriguez were healthy they would still need a an ace and a lefty. Getting Crochet was the move but getting Luzardo would have made a lot of sense too. Oh well live and learn.
I don’t think it’s normal for Tucker to have 8 steals already. I think he wants a 40/40 season. Reaching for that brass ring.
Bryan Woo for Seiya Suzuki -OR- Luis Castillo for Nico Hoerner.
I like the fit with the Cubs trading an outfielder for a starter and vice versa. Maybe Castillo for Suzuki.
King.: Except Suzuki is atrocious on defense. Definitely not worth Castillo.
I like your idea for the Woo trade a lot considering the depth we are supposed to have in outfield in the farm. At least one of those prospects should hit.
No. No. No. You don’t try to improve one spot by creating a problem somewhere else. Seiya is your #3 hitter and there is nobody to replace Nico at his level.
Someone please understand how important Seiya is to this team and do not think that you can plug ONKC or Alcantara in there now.
The outfield should theoretically consist of Tucker and PCA in the long term… what long term pitching do the Cubs have?????? If you cannot plug a singular hole in the outfield between upcoming and free agency and the farm, there is a serious problem.
I would rather make a win now move for a 25 year old proven 1 or 2 spot pitcher than we can build a rotation around with pieces like Horton and give up a 30 year old outfielder that we are rich in prospects to replace, rather than having 5 30 year old starters.
ps….in this day and age of baseball there is no such thing as “long term” pitching any more.
Wait till Boyd and rea start going south and the team as a whole start having problems which inevitably will occur in a long season.
11 appearances between the two…11 solid outings. Wait is the word. Troll away, Bruce.
You pound that keyboard long enough…and wait….and sooner or later you will be right.
Generally, I agree Bruce might be trolling, but considering these guys long track records, I do not foresee this sustaining. I feel like we need both starter and bullpen help bad.
Nobody said they are going to “sustain”. Of course Rea isn’t ending with a sub 1.00 ERA, but as recently as, oh, eight months ago he had a 27 start season. It’s not unrealistic that the Cubs can get 20 starts from a #4-5 guy with respectable results.
The help we need in the bullpen is health…not much more. Julian Merryweather being healthy sets up the innings before the seventh and Hodge and Pressly and a key add later after the 7th.
Miller and Brasier coming back healthy is important also.
I agree with what you’re saying about the rotation, but the end goal of this season is PLAYOFFS… other than Imanaga, who do you trust to start a playoff game? NO ONE. In regards to the bullpen, Pressley has been very lucky. Walk rate is higher than K rate and he had the 4th most blown saves in the MLB last year. He is regressing. I think Hodge would be a respectable closer, but again, I am not viewing this team in the sense of the regular season, I want playoffs. I trust Hodge to pitch a 7th in the NLCS, but I do not necessarily feel as comfortable with the 8th or 9th. Pressly I definitely do not feel comfortable, and all of the other guys you mentioned will be nice pieces for regular season depth, but other than Hodge taking an inning, who do you trust in high contention playoff games? We need 2 more bullpen arms I believe. I know it is a lot, but I just can’t think in my head that porter hodge and another guy (theoretically someone we trade for) are our 8th and 9th innings guys, and we leave the rest of that bullpen to figure out the 6th and 7th in a NCLS game. Especially considering the lack of high-level pitching we have with Steele out when looking at it from a play-offs perspective. Starters are already pulled earlier in the playoffs as it. As of right now our number 2 and 3 starters would be Boyd and Taillon – to me that sounds disastrous.
Cubs have a long track record of heating up when it’s cold and going cold when it gets hot. So far Busch and PCA are not suffering sophomore slump. Have a really nice lineup. I do not believe any team has a lineup from 1-9 that does not have a hole or two. That includes the 2024 World Series champs. At least they were smart enough to have four third basemen available to start the season. Have a feeling a patchwork 3b of Berti as the starter with JT playing twice a week can work.
Yeah, I do not think JT is going to stay this bad. Definitely has regressed, but I do not think it’ll stay like this.
That would have been a formidable rotation and they would have had 4 lefties in their rotation. Luzardo is pitching quite well this season, to the tune of a 2.79 SIERA.