Braves Lose Out to Phillies in Luzardo Sweepstakes

The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies were the two teams most aggressively pursuing Miami Marlins lefty Jesús Luzardo.

The Atlanta Braves were heavily involved the Miami Marlins in trying to acquire Jesús Luzardo who ultimately went to the Phillies. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Braves see another division rival make a big move. The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired left-handed starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo from the Miami Marlins. 

FanSided’s Robert Murray was the first to report the move. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed it next and included that the Phillies traded infielder Starlyn Caba (Phillies' No. 4 prospect) and outfielder Emaarion Boyd (Phillies’ No. 23 prospect). 

While it’s frustrating for fans to see another rival make a move when the Braves didn’t, it wasn’t because they sat on their hands. It was essentially a two-way race between them and the Philadelphia Phillies to acquire the intradivision opponent’s 27-year-old pitcher.

At one point, the Chicago Cubs were also reported to be in on Luzardo. 

Catching prospect Drake Baldwin was in the discussions to acquire Luzardo, but the Braves seemed unwilling to add another high-pitching prospect to the pot, ultimately balking at the Marlins' demands.

Another potential piece that could have been moved in the Phillies were in talks of moving was their No. 6 prospect, right-handed pitcher Mick Abel, but they upped the ante with Caba.

There was simply a point where the Braves didn’t want to pay the Marlins asking price. The Phillies might not want to have either, but they presented an offer that the Marlins were willing to accept. 

In 12 starts in 2024, Luzardo had a 5.00 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP and 58 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings pitched. He spent large chunks of the season on the Injured List. First, it was a 15-day stint due to left elbow tightness. Then, he went back on the 15-day, which then saw him transferred to the 60-day due to a lumbar stress reaction. 

While those numbers aren’t going to wow anybody, he has a recent track record of success when he’s healthy. However, coming off this season, the price teams are willing to pay is naturally much lower. 

Luzardo is expected to make $8.6 million next season, according to Spotrac. 

In the previous two seasons, he had a combined 3.48 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP and 328 strikeouts in 279 innings across 50 starts. 

Both of these Phillies prospects are early on in their development. Caba finished his 2024 season with Single-A Clearwater and Boyd finished with High-A Jersey Shore. 

Caba signed with the Phillies in January 2023. On 26 games with the Threshers, he slashed .179/.304/.189. 

Boyd was the Phillies 11th-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. In 96 games with the BlueClaws, he slashed .239/.316/.330. 

Even with Sean Murphy under contract until the end of the decade, the idea that Baldwin could possibly be a trade piece for the Braves comes as a bit of a surprise since he was seen as a future member of the catching staff and starting lineup. Baseball America named him the team’s Minor League Player of the Year. 

He split time between Double-A Mississippi and Triple-A Gwinnett, with his standout stretch coming following his promotion. In 72 Triple-A games, Baldwin batted .298 with an .891 OPS, 12 home runs and 55 RBIs. His on-base percentage was .407. He showed solid plate discipline with a 16.2% strikeout rate. He had nearly as many walks (52) as strikeouts (54).

The Braves have historically done an excellent job of promoting from within, and they weren't willing to give up two-premium prospects for Luzardo, and frankly, it's hard to blame them.