Miami Marlins Ace Jesus Luzardo Named Ideal Fit for Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs have been linked to Jesus Luzardo of late, and he has been named an ideal fit for the club.

May 28, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo (44) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images / David Frerker-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs made headlines over the weekend with their blockbuster trade for superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker from the Houston Astros.

It was but the latest in a busy offseason for the Cubs, which has also seen them bolster their rotation with the free agency signing of Matthew Boyd.

They may not be done yet, however, as they have been linked heavily with the Miami Marlins in a potential trade involving Marlins left-handed pitcher Jesus Luzardo.

In a recent article for MLB.com, Brian Murphy named Luzardo as an ideal fit for Chicago and their pitching staff.

"This fit might become a reality in the not-too-distant future. There have been multiple reports in the past few days regarding the Cubs' interest in the 27-year-old Luzardo, who is arbitration-eligible through 2026. Much like the Mariners vis-à-vis [Luis] Castillo, the Marlins are said to desire young, controllable bats in return for their prized hurler. Even after the Cubs shipped infielder and 2024 first-round Draft pick Cam Smith to Houston as part of the Kyle Tucker trade, seven of Chicago's top eight prospects are position players. Luzardo's 2024 season was marred by injuries, but from 2022-23 with Miami, he produced a 3.48 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP and struck out 328 batters over 279 innings. Although his presence could make the Cubs' rotation almost too left-handed, he would cost a lot less in dollars than Castillo, who is owed about $72 million through 2027."

Luzardo's career has been marred with injuries, pitching 100 or more innings only twice, but adding the lefty to an already top-heavy rotation would go a long way toward the club being able to limit the innings on his arm.

With the also oft-injured Boyd in the rotation, adding Luzardo could give the club an opportunity to shift to a six-man rotation, which would be beneficial to the health of all of their pitchers.

The top of the rotation for the Cubs is already a force to be reckoned with Shota Imanaga and Justin Steele, so adding a power pitcher like Luzardo to the mix could give the club the best rotation in the National League Central.