The Phillies have climbed back into the National League’s top Wild Card spot, and Jesús Luzardo has been a huge reason why. What looked like a fairly modest trade with the Marlins two offseasons ago has turned into one of Dave Dombrowski’s sharpest moves in Philadelphia.
Luzardo arrived in the city three days before Christmas in 2024, when the Phillies sent prospects Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd to Miami. At the time, the left-hander had six seasons of big league work behind him and had flashed the kind of stuff that hints at ace potential, but he still hadn’t put together a long run of dominance. In 512 career innings with the Athletics and Marlins, he carried a 4.29 ERA with 559 strikeouts and 180 walks.
The return was built around upside rather than proven major league value. Caba was ranked fifth in the Phillies’ system by MLB Pipeline at the time, with Boyd sitting 17th. Caba was viewed as a future Gold Glove shortstop thanks to his range and contact skills, while Boyd brought speed and defense but not much offensive promise.
Since landing in Philadelphia, Luzardo has taken a clear step forward. In his first season with the Phillies, he posted a 3.92 ERA and struck out 216 batters in 32 starts, enough for the club to lock him up with a five-year, $135 million extension last winter.
“Jesús Luzardo’s five-year extension is for $135 million, sources tell ESPN. The deal, negotiated by Roger Tomas and Brodie Van Wagenen of Roc Nation, puts Luzardo among the highest-paid left-handed pitchers in baseball and solidifies the Phillies’ rotation going forward.”
He’s been even better this season. Through 28 starts, Luzardo has a 3.02 ERA with 209 strikeouts and only 51 walks, helping steady a rotation that has also seen Taijuan Walker get released and Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter struggle. That performance earned him his first All-Star nod, plus NL Pitcher of the Month honors in August, and he’s in position to pick up some down-ballot Cy Young votes.
The other side of the trade has not gone nearly as well for Miami. Caba struggled to a .613 OPS in 51 Low-A games in 2025 before improving to a .767 mark in 82 High-A games this year. He’s still only 20, but he has fallen to seventh in the Marlins’ farm system after ranking second last year, and his profile has dimmed into that of a light-hitting shortstop with limited pop.
Boyd hasn’t made much noise either. He has posted a .677 OPS in 77 Double-A games and is not ranked among Miami’s top 30 prospects.
There’s still room for the story to shift if Caba develops more power or if Luzardo runs into trouble down the road. For now, though, this deal looks like a major win for the Phillies and a rough one for the Marlins.
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Braves Still Hold The Edge After Phillies Forced A Desperate Response
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Even with that victory, Philadelphia still sits behind the Braves in the standings and knows the margin for error remains thin. The win mattered because it forced Atlanta to absorb the kind of loss that can tighten a division chase, but it also underscored how much ground the Phillies still have to make up if they want the race to turn in their favor. [Read more 🡒]