In a quest for pitching, Miami Marlins lefty Jesus Luzrdo makes sense for the San Diego Padres. 

The San Diego Padres will make moves this winter.

A.J. Preller and the Padres are relatively quiet this winter but are surely about to add to the roster.

Jurickson Profar, Tanner Scott, Kyle Higashioka, and Ha-Seong Kim are free agents. The Padres will not retain all of these men, but there is certainly interest in bringing back a lot of the roster from 2024. Scott will likely sign elsewhere as his demands will exceed the Padres’ price range. Kim is rumored to be headed to the Giants, though that has not happened.. yet.

The Padres are interested in bringing back Profar and Higashioka, but the price must be right. Then there is the wild card. You know A.J. Preller has a trick or two up his sleeve and could easily tinker with the Padres’ offense and make significant additions. Anything is possible.

In reviewing the pitching staff, there are several questions regarding the starters.

Will Yu Darvish return to form in 2025 after an injury-riddled 2024 season? Can Michael King continue progressing, and will Dylan Cease shake off his poor playoff performances? The Padres will be without Joe Musgrove after Tommy John surgery ended his 2024 year. There are young pitchers capable of stepping up, but will Matt Waldron, Adrian Morejon, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito, or Bryan Hoeing be dependable? Are the Padres willing to take the chance?

The Padres will need pitching. When you factor in King and Cease’s pending free agent after the 2025 season, it seems fairly obvious.

In Miami, the Marlins are once again in a rebuilding mode. The team moved Luis Arraez early in the year last season and parted ways with Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing at the trade deadline. They also traded Jazz Chisholm to the Yankees as they trimmed their payroll.

Sandy Alcantara is the highest-paid Marlin at more than $17 million for the 2025 season. The 2022 Cy Young Award winner missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He is expected to return this coming season but is a risk.

Another talented pitcher who comes with a risk is left-hander Jesus Luzardo. The southpaw is due to make around $8 million in 2025 and is the second highest-paid Marlin on the roster. Miami would surely like to part ways with Luzardo, who has battled injuries throughout his six-year career. The 27-year-old went 3-6 last season with a 5.00 ERA and a 1.245 WHIP in 12 starts and 66.1 innings pitched. The lefty missed time with a balky elbow.

An elbow issue? Ugh. Not exactly the best news to hear.

However, Luzardo is expected to be okay after resting this winter. His 2025 season looks to be favorable, but in the back of your mind- you have to be concerned about his elbow.

In 2023, Luzardo went 10-10 with a 3.58 ERA, a 1.215 WHIP in 32 starts, and 178.2 innings pitched. He struck out 208 in that time and looked to be a future top-end starter. The upside is there, but the risk is certainly scary. He is not a horrendous investment at more than $8 million for the 2025 season and two years of control. The Padres may be able to get their money’s worth out of this young pitcher.

The cost from the Marlins wouldn’t be expensive. They know Luzardo is a pitcher with health concerns.

The two sides have agreed a few times in the last 8 months. The Marlins and the Padres have a great working relationship regarding trades. A deal could easily be made if the Padres are satisfied with Luzardo’s health. The asking price wouldn’t be Ethan Salas or Leodalis De Vries. A mid to lower-tiered prospect or two would probably get the job done. Something the Padres could easily part with to improve the major league roster.

Jesus Luzardo comes with a risk. But the Padres could get excellent value from the lefty as he pitches for the next two years for a huge contract. Motivation is huge in baseball, and the Padres can be assured that Luzardo will put in his best efforts for the next two seasons.

The Padres need to do their homework on his elbow. Get him examined. If everything comes out positive, then make the move. The Marlins will have no shortage of trading partners once he proves his health. If Luzardo comes back this spring and is throwing 97 mph with that nasty tight slider, his asking price suddenly skyrockets.

A.J. Preller thinks outside the box. The reward is worth the risk here. We will see if anything comes to fruition.

What do you think? Is Jesus Luzardo worth the risk via trade?

James Clark

James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.