As recently as December, the Chicago Cubs envisioned Jesús Luzardo toeing the Wrigley Field mound on a Saturday afternoon in April.
Craig Counsell’s squad will see that reality on Saturday, just with Luzardo wearing a Philadelphia Phillies uniform instead. MLB insider Ken Rosenthal reported Friday that the Cubs and Miami Marlins agreed on a Luzardo trade ahead of the new year.
However, the Cubs backed out, citing concerns over Luzardo’s back and elbow. That allowed the Phillies, fresh off their first NL East crown since 2011, to swoop in and add the 27-year-old lefty only days before Christmas. Philadelphia traded shortstop Starlyn Caba and outfielder Emaarion Boyd to the Marlins for Luzardo and minor-league catcher/outfielder Paul McIntosh.
The Cubs signed veteran left-hander Matthew Boyd instead. Rosenthal said it is unclear what Chicago would have sent to Miami for Luzardo. “I’ve had plenty of players where one club hasn’t taken a player because of medicals and another club has, and the player is fine,” Phillies executive Dave Dombrowski told Rosenthal.
“Everybody has their own standards, how they read certain injuries,” Dombrowski continued. It’s been so far, so good for Luzardo in the City of Brotherly Love. Luzardo enters Saturday’s start with a 2.08 ERA and 36-7 K-BB ratio across 30.1 innings for the slumping Phillies. Luzardo’s 1.4 bWAR ranks second in the National League, trailing only Washington Nationals starter Mitchell Parker’s 1.6 mark. Only Parker and Seattle Mariners closer Andrés Muñoz (1.5 bWAR) are above Luzardo.
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