It would be pleasant, wouldn't it, for the Yankees to acquire an outstanding pitcher sooner instead of later? Some of the excitement surrounding the team's 5-0 start on Tuesday was dimmed when they were soundly defeated, 7-0, by the Diamondbacks in Arizona. This marked the second unimpressive performance in a row from Nestor Cortes, who started on Opening Day in the absence of Gerrit Cole, the closest thing the Yankees have to an ace.
He hasn't performed well in his two starts. Cortes has given up 13 hits, walked four times, and allowed seven earned runs in 10.0 innings so far. It's a small sample size, but he didn't do well in last year's shortened season due to injury and fared poorly (23 hits, four walks, 12 earned runs in 14 innings) in Spring Training.
This leads us to the realm of speculative trades. And there's a potential trade that could greatly help the Yankees' short-term pitching problems by adding another top-quality pitcher to fill in for Cole and serve as the No. 2 starter behind him. The focus is on Marlins top pitcher Jesus Luzardo.
Jesus Luzardo Tops MLB Trade List, According to B/R
B/R also ranks Luzardo as the premier “trade chip” in all of MLB during this spring and summer. With a 0-6 record and quickly declining, Miami may be looking to exchange its top assets for prospects in the coming weeks.
Luzardo, who is 26 and will become a free agent in two years, is at the top of their list of assets, and B/R listed the Yankees as one of the main potential suitors for Luzardo. Here's what analyst Zachary D. Rymer said about Luzardo, who spent over two seasons in Oakland before being traded to Miami:
“Injuries in Oakland have led the left-handed pitcher on a convoluted path to stardom, but that's the path he's on. In 2023, he struck out more batters than Burnes, Kodai Senga, and Aaron Nola, finishing strongly with a 3.12 ERA over his last 18 appearances.
“Compared to other left-handers, Luzardo's abilities are impressive, and at this stage of his career, there's little reason to believe that will change anytime soon. And with free agency not approaching until after 2026, any team that acquires him would have a new top pitcher for the foreseeable future.” grades well Yankees Future Ace?
The Yankees are in the fortunate position of not necessarily needing a new ace this season, but they could benefit from one for the next month while Cole recovers from his elbow injury.
Of course, this assumes a full recovery for Cole, which is not a certainty. Throughout his career, his endurance has been a trademark, and he has managed six consecutive full seasons with
at least 30 starts . It's worrying when a player like that sustains an elbow injury and ends up on the 60-day DL at the age of 33.Nevertheless, Luzardo could be a waiting ace. He had a record of
10-10 in 32 starts last season, with a 3.58 ERA and a 1.215 WHIP, along with 208 strikeouts in 178.1 innings pitched. He was the Marlins’ Opening Day starter this year and has struggled in his first two appearances in Miami, giving up only a 0.968 WHIP in those games but allowing five runs in 10.1 innings. Luzardo is only 26 years old. Even though the Yankees might get him without immediately paying him, he could be a candidate for a contract extension early on.
The Athletic predicts himto get a six-year, $90 million deal if he does sign a new contract early. They just need to complete a trade for him first.
The Yankees require a top pitcher while Gerrit Cole is unavailable, and possibly even beyond that. Marlins standout Jesus Luzardo could be the perfect fit.
