Phillies Nearly Missed Out on Jesús Luzardo Due to Medical Concerns
The Philadelphia Phillies’ breakout pitcher of the season, Jesús Luzardo, almost ended up with another team during the offseason. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Chicago Cubs had reached an agreement to acquire Luzardo from the Miami Marlins but backed out due to concerns about his back and elbow health.
Luzardo had dealt with significant injuries during the previous season, making only 12 starts. He was first sidelined from late April to mid-May due to elbow tightness, and later missed the rest of the year after being diagnosed with a lumbar stress reaction in June.
Once the Cubs withdrew from the deal, the Phillies acted quickly. They acquired Luzardo by trading prospects Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd to Miami. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski shared that while teams vary in how they interpret medical evaluations, his staff was confident in their assessment of Luzardo’s condition.
Dombrowski noted that Philadelphia’s medical team has a strong track record in player evaluations and made the call that Luzardo could stay healthy with proper management. That decision has already proven valuable.
Through his first five starts of the 2025 season, Luzardo has delivered a stellar performance with a 2.08 ERA, a 195 ERA+, and 36 strikeouts in just over 30 innings. In a twist of fate, he is set to pitch against the Cubs—the very team that nearly acquired him—at Wrigley Field this weekend.
