Miami Marlins pitcher Jesus Luzardo has been a sought-after trade target since last year. The San Diego Padres had their eye on Luzardo in a potential deal involving Luis Arraez, though Arraez eventually joined San Diego without Luzardo. The Kansas City Royals also showed interest, proposing a trade that included Vinnie Pasquantino.
Luzardo has faced injury challenges this season, missing time due to left elbow issues and currently dealing with a stiff back. His performance has been below expectations with a 5.00 ERA and 1.245 WHIP over 66.2 innings, striking out 58 while walking 22. Despite this, at 26 years old with two-and-a-half years of team control remaining, Luzardo remains an attractive trade asset. It seems inevitable that he will be traded; the only question is where.
The St. Louis Cardinals made significant moves to revamp their rotation in the offseason, signing Kyle Gibson, Sonny Gray, and Lance Lynn to address their 26th-ranked rotation from 2023, which had a 5.08 ERA. While these signings have been beneficial, the Cardinals still require pitching help. Miles Mikolas has not returned to his previous form since his extension, and Steven Matz has been disappointing and is currently injured.
Acquiring a pitcher like Luzardo, who is under team control, would make sense for the Cardinals as they push for a playoff spot. However, like the Houston Astros, their limited farm system (ranked 23rd by MLB.com at the start of the season) could hinder their ability to make such a trade.
