Most Philadelphia Phillies fans have been clamoring all offseason for the team to make an impact addition. Despite failing to get over the playoff hump for four straight seasons, the club has eschewed big name free agents, instead spending big to keep many of their veterans in the fold. They stayed true to that course on Monday, locking up electric hurler Jesús Luzardo long-term, and in so doing have probably taken themselves out of the running for next winter’s prized free agent: Tarik Skubal.
Once a heralded prospect in the Nationals and A’s systems, Luzardo found himself traded in exchange for All-Stars on two occasions: first to Oakland for Sean Doolittle and then to Miami for Starling Marte. He held his own at both stops, but didn’t quite live up to the top-of-the-rotation upside he flashed as a minor leaguer, delivering a 4.29 ERA across 512 innings in parts of five seasons.
Last offseason Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski swung a shrewd trade for the southpaw, shipping out top-100 prospect Starlyn Caba and fleet-footed outfielder Emaarion Boyd to the Marlins. Luzardo immediately delivered on his immense promise, looking like an All-Star talent and darkhorse Cy Young Award candidate through the season’s first two months.
Jesús Luzardo looking to avoid repeat of pitfalls after Phillies chose him over Tarik Skubal
Unfortunately, a pair of historically atrocious outings in late May and early June wrecked his overall numbers, taking him out of the running for any season-long accolades despite righting the ship down the stretch. Still, the talent Luzardo possesses was made quite evident throughout 2025, culminating in two gutsy playoff performances where he locked down a formidable Dodgers offense.
Luzardo’s fantastic year in red pinstripes made extending him this winter a no-brainer, and the Phillies paid up to keep him, inking him to a five-year, $135 million pact. While that shores up the future of the starting rotation for the next half-decade, it does likely mean that another high-priced pitching addition won’t be in the cards.
Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is the hottest name in next offseason’s free agent class, as the 29-year-old is coming off back-to-back Cy Young-winning seasons. Skubal is poised to break the bank of whoever signs him, and could very well set a new record for starting pitcher compensation.
The Phillies and their deep pockets are frequently connected to most big name free agents, and it’s only natural for fans to have dreamed of the possibility of a 2027 rotation featuring Skubal, a healthy Zack Wheeler and an emergent Andrew Painter. Alas, that’s probably not meant to be, as hefty contracts for Wheeler, Aaron Nola and now Luzardo take up the bulk of the pitching budget. Still, it’s always fun to dream.