Now that the Cody Bellinger trade is complete, we can shift full trade-related obsession to the Jesus Luzardo trade that seems to be perpetually on the doorstep of completion.
The two deals would seem to be unrelated, but I could imagine all kinds of plausible connections. For one, the money the Cubs just saved on Bellinger could be repurposed toward a free agent starting pitcher, if the Cubs wanted, meaning they might now prefer to go that route rather than take the riskier upside play on Luzardo (or at least they can now try to sell that threat to the Marlins). For another, the Cubs may now feel that Cody Poteet provides them a little extra cover/leverage on the pitching depth – he has mostly been a starting pitcher – so they can hold the line in talks a little more easily. For still another, maybe the back-up Bellinger trade plan would’ve had the Cubs landing a starting pitcher from another club (Luis Castillo?). So on and so forth.
This is usually how offseasons go for a team trying to coordinate so many moves. The correlated impacts aren’t always obvious, but they are usually there, at least at the margins. So it really is possible that Luzardo could be up next.
In his post-Bellinger-what’s-next article at The Athletic, Patrick Mooney reiterates that Luzardo is on the table for the Cubs: “The Cubs have been in talks with the Miami Marlins about Jesús Luzardo, a talented left-handed pitcher who comes with an extensive medical history and two more seasons of club control.”
He’s not saying, mind you, that Luzardo is definitely the next move for the Cubs, but his was the one and only name that came up in Mooney’s section about the Cubs possibly trading other prospects this offseason.
Meanwhile, add one more reporter to the group saying that the Cubs-Jesus Luzardo stuff is legit. ESPN’s Jesse Rogers offered a number of replies to that end:
yes
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) December 17, 2024Luzardo is real I dont believe Castillo is. Too much $$$
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) December 17, 2024As for the possible contours of a deal, the names we’ve heard before – and they were included non-specifically in Mooney’s piece – are Triple-A prospects Owen Caissie and James Triantos. Rogers was asked about Caissie:
agreed. too much. and highly doubt they will. highly doubt it
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) December 17, 2024Here’s hoping he’s right on that one. Candidly, I don’t love the idea of trading James Triantos for Jesus Luzardo, and Owen Caissie is a step up on the prospect ladder from Triantos. So if Caissie were in the deal, the Cubs would have to get A LOT more back from the Marlins, in my view. Thus, I just hope he’s not even in the discussions at all, and his name being out there was just wishcasting from the Marlins’ side.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Obsessive Jesus Luzardo Trade Watch: Getting Really Smoky? Up Next? Triantos or Caissie? )
Also on site :