The Philadelphia Phillies climbed their way back into the National League’s top Wild Card spot this week and their lights out starting rotation deserves a good deal of the credit. Perhaps the most important piece of that electric staff is Jesús Luzardo, who has continued to make the Miami Marlins look foolish for selling low on him two offseasons ago.
Luzardo came to the Phillies three days before Christmas back in 2024, as president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski swung a deal with the division-rival Marlins in exchange for prospects Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd. The Peruvian lefty had six years of big league experience under his belt to that point, showing flashes of ace upside, but failing to put it all together for a prolonged stretch. Over 512 career innings with the Athletics and Fish, Luzardo had posted a 4.29 ERA with 559 strikeouts and 180 walks; solid production, but far from acehood.
As for the prospect package headed to Miami, Caba was the fifth-ranked youngster in the Phillies’ system at the time according to MLB Pipeline, while Boyd settled into the 17th spot. Caba projected as a future Gold Glover at shortstop with excellent wheels and a contact-oriented approach at the plate. Boyd received much less fanfare as a decent outfield defender with blazing speed, but not enough bat to make him a big league regular.
Jesús Luzardo has turned into one of the best left-handers in baseball, and it didn't cost the Phillies much to get him
Since that deal went down Luzardo has blossomed into the top-tier arm he seemed destined to become, posting a 3.92 ERA along with 216 punchouts over 32 starts in his first season in red pinstripes. That was enough for the Phils to bet big on the southpaw, as they signed Luzardo to a massive five-year, $135 million contract 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.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 9, 2026
The 28-year-old has been even more remarkable this year, working to a 3.02 ERA across 28 starts with 209 strikeouts and just 51 walks, helping to stabilize a Phils' rotation that has seen Taijuan Walker get released and Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter struggle. That fantastic performance earned him his first career All-Star selection, and he’s on pace to receive some down-ballot Cy Young Award votes after nabbing NL Pitcher of the Month honors in August.
While Luzardo has peaked in Philadelphia, the two prospects he was traded for have gone in the opposite direction. Caba put up an ugly .613 OPS in 51 Low-A contests in 2025, but has rebounded a bit with a .767 mark in 82 High-A games this year.
The diminutive shortstop is still just 20 years old and possesses plenty of talent, but he’s dropped to the seventh-ranked farmhand in Miami’s system (down from number two last year) and looks like a mere Punch-and-Judy slap-hitter with minimal pop. Boyd hasn’t done much in the Marlins’ system, working to a tepid .677 OPS in 77 total Double-A games and is not ranked among Miami’s top-30 prospects.
There’s still plenty of time left for the situation to change, as Caba could suddenly develop a stronger power stroke or Luzardo could run into injury or effectiveness problems over the next few years. Still, in the history of Dave Dombrowski trades, this one is looking like an all-time steal.
Add us as a preferred source on Google