Baltimore Orioles Need To Consider Trade For Marlins Lefty Jesús Luzardo

The Baltimore Orioles should consider a trade for Miami Marlins left-handed starter Jesús Luzardo.

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The Baltimore Orioles are staring down the barrel of losing their superstar ace starting pitcher Corbin Burnes after just one season with the team and free agent options to replace him are beginning to dwindle.

Options such as Blake Snell, Max Fried, and even a second tier Nathan Eovaldi have disappeared off the board as Burnes looks like the next big domino to fall. But with the way the market is playing out, a return to the Orioles is beginning to look less and less likely by the day.

It's possible if not likely that if Baltimore is going to find someone even remotely comparable to replace Burnes, it will have to come from the trade market.

One of the hottest names available on the trade market was Chicago White Sox lefty Garrett Crochet. But the Orioles, who were already unlikely to be one of the prime contenders to trade for Chicago's ace, have lost out to the division rival Boston Red Sox.

If Baltimore does end up looking towards the trade market beyond Crochet, perhaps they could swing a deal for Miami Marlins left-handed starter Jesús Luzardo. At just 27 years old, Luzardo is under team control for the next two seasons and is expected to receive roughly $6 million in arbitration this season.

Last season was far from ideal for the lefty, making just 12 starts with a 5+ ERA. He was dealing with injuries however and was shut down for the season in June with a lumbar stress reaction. In his last full healthy season in 2023, Luzardo was beyond solid with a 3.58 ERA in a career-high 178.2 innings pitched with 208 strikeouts.

His potential fit with Baltimore makes a lot of sense. The team entertained trying to trade for him last winter around the same time they acquired Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers, but the price for Luzardo was too high coming off his big 2023 season. Now a year later and coming off a major injury, the 27-year-old could likely be had for much less than last year.

It should be noted as well that Luzardo is not Burnes and is not going to come anywhere close to replacing the 2021 Cy Young winner assuming he does indeed walk away. But he would be a nice start towards at least competing a competitive rotation and unlike the Burnes deal last year, the Orioles would actually be guaranteed two full seasons with him.

Keep an eye on the Luzardo market if it starts to heat up and whether or not Baltimore could get involved.