Phillies Acquire Jesús Luzardo From Marlins For Pair Of High-Upside Prospects
Image credit: Jesús Luzardo (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
In Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler, the Phillies already boasted one of the game’s best one-two punches at the top of their rotation. Just before the holidays, they decided to give themselves a little more firepower.
On Dec. 22, they swung a trade with the Marlins to acquire lefthander Jesús Luzardo, who is young, under control for the next two seasons and has electric stuff. He’s had his issues staying healthy—he’s gone past 100 innings just once in his career—but was dominant just two seasons ago.
To acquire Luzardo, the Phillies parted with shortstop Starlyn Caba and outfielder Emaarion Boyd, two high-upside, far-away prospects. The Phillies also received catcher Paul McIntosh from Miami in the deal.
PHILLIES RECEIVE
Jesús Luzardo, LHP
Age: 27
Luzardo has changed addresses more than most 27-year-olds, especially those who throw fastballs in the mid 90s. He started his career with the Nationals before being dealt to the A’s in a five-player swap. Four years later, he was traded to the Marlins in a 1-for-1 deal that sent outfielder Starling Marte to Oakland.
Luzardo’s best season came in 2023, when he racked up 208 strikeouts and 4.0 bWAR. He did a good job getting whiffs and chases in 2024, but his problems with command led to a good deal of hard contact. His fastball sits in the mid 90s and is backed with a low-80s slider and mid-80s changeup.
He’s dealt with elbow, forearm and back injuries in recent years, so his health will be worth monitoring.
Paul McIntosh, C
Age: 27
McIntosh was signed by the Marlins as an undrafted free agent in 2021 and he immediately drew strong internal praise for his bat and his makeup. He moved from High-A to Triple-A in 2023 but spent all of his 2024 season with Double-A Pensacola. McIntosh does a fine job making contact and hits the ball hard—his 90th percentile exit velocity was 107.7 mph, the same figure as Yankees prospect Spencer Jones—but could stand to get the ball in the air more often. He caught 23% of attempted basestealers in 2024.
MARLINS RECEIVE
Starlyn Caba, SS
Age: 19
Caba has a case as the best defensive shortstop in the minor leagues, from Rookie ball to Triple-A. You can find plenty of scouts who rate his glove as a true 80, and even the most conservative graders label it as double-plus. Twitchy, athletic and instinctual on the dirt, he will rack up plenty of value in the big leagues by playing the kind of lockdown defense that produces clip after clip of viral social media highlights.
In a season spent mostly in the Florida Complex League, Caba showed a passive approach at the plate and a discerning eye. He finished the year with more walks (67) than strikeouts (49) and swung the bat at one of the lowest rates in the minors.
When he did swing, he produced line drives around the outfield that allowed his plus speed to take its course on the basepaths. If he reaches his ceiling, he should hit at the top of a lineup and save runs by the bushel with his glove.
Emaarion Boyd, OF
Age: 21
The Phillies love to shoot for upside in the draft, and Boyd’s 11th-round selection in 2022 is a perfect example. They paid $647,500 to sign him and his potentially-electric tool set away from a commitment to Northwest Florida JC.
Like many prospects in the Phillies’ system, Boyd could stand to get the ball off the ground more often. He finished the year with a 52% groundball rate, which muted some of the loud contact he produced. He missed on pitches in the zone just 15.7% of the time and produced 90th percentile and maximum exit velocities of 101.8 and 110.2 mph, respectively. He’s a double-plus runner, as well, so if he can turn some of those grounders into line drives… look out. Boyd’s speed helps him in center field, but the finer points of the position could still use some polish.
Boyd’s upside is immense. Now, it’s up to Miami’s player development department to get the most out his natural gifts.
