Cleveland Guardians Should Consider Offseason Trade For NL Pitcher

One intriguing pitcher could make sense as a Cleveland Guardians offseason trade target.

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. / David Frerker-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians are headed towards the MLB postseason with big goals of of making a deep run and getting into the World Series.

Regardless of the outcome of the 2024 season, the front office will do their best to add pieces to be even more serious contenders in 2025.

One area that the team will need to focus on is the starting pitching rotation. Shane Bieber will hit free agency and the front office will need to bring him back. Assuming they can get that done, they need to try to bring in another quality starting arm.

There are some free agent options that the Guardians could take a look at. However, there are also some intriguing arms that will be available on the trade market.

Looking closer at potential trade options, there is one name worth keeping a close eye on.

Miami Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo was widely expected to get moved ahead of the MLB trade deadline this year. Unfortunately, he went down with an injury and that ended the possibility of him getting moved.

Could Cleveland consider making a play to acquire Luzardo from the Marlins this offseason?

During the 2024 MLB season, Luzardo started in 12 games. He went 3-6 to go along with a 5.00 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP, a 2.6 K/BB ratio, and 66.2 innings pitched.

Back in 2023, he made 32 starts for Miami, compiling a 10-10 record to go along with a 3.58 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP, a 3.8 K/BB ratio, and 178.2 innings pitched.

At 26 years old, Luzard could be a long-term fit for the Guardians. He will have the 2025 and 2026 seasons left on his contract. If things pan out well, the team could look to sign him to a long-term extension.

More than likely, he also wouldn't come at a steep price tag. Due to the injury and not being an elite level starter, Cleveland might be able to get him for a bargain. If they can, they should pull the trigger.

Expect to see the Guardians be very active during the offseason. Fans shouldn't expect them to break their mold and become big spenders, but they're close to a championship and they'll do what they can to push the team closer to that goal.

Luzardo should be a target and would certainly help towards that goal. It will be interesting to see if they end up being connected to him during the offseason.