Marlins Star 'Single Player Most Likely To Be Traded,' Red Sox Logical Fit

Boston could use a young starter to build around

Scott Neville | May 30, 2024

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-USA TODAY Sports / David Frerker-USA TODAY Sports

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The Boston Red Sox have done just enough to hang around at 28-28, putting them 2 1/2 games back for an American League Wild spot just over one-third of the way through the season.

It's probably more likely than not that Boston falls just short of contention by the July 30 Major League Baseball trade deadline and opts to sell off impending free agents such as Tyler O'Neill, Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin and possibly Nick Pivetta.

However, if they were to go on a run and position themselves as buyers, the Miami Marlins have a player who could be a huge help to the Red Sox's cause. Fortunately, the right-hander is expected to be traded this summer.

"(Jesús) Luzardo to me is the single player most likely to be traded," The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal said on "Foul Territory" Wednesday. "The Marlins are going to keep going. They traded Luis Arráez, they are going to trade Luzardo as long as he stays healthy -- he had that little flare-up physically earlier -- but he's gone."

Luzardo has a 4.18 ERA, 50-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .226 batting average against and a 1.14 WHIP in 51 2/3 innings through nine starts this season. His 3.63 FIP appears to be closer to what he'll end up at this season given his strong underlying metrics.

The 26-year-old is under team control through 2026 and would be a perfect addition to the Red Sox given his ability to help them win games in the present while stabilizing the rotation for years to come.

The possibility of a trade would come down to the Marlins asking price -- as the Red Sox are extremely unlikely to give up any of their top three prospects -- shortstop Marcelo Mayer, outfielder Roman Anthony and catcher Kyle Teel.

If Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow can acquire Luzardo while keeping the big three intact, he'd be extremely wise to do so. If not, there are plenty of other fish in the sea.

More MLB: Red Sox Breakout Star Could Be Traded To Dodgers After Stellar Start

Published May 30, 2024

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu