The Philadelphia Phillies have locked up a major piece of their rotation after agreeing to an extension with starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo Monday evening.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, who first broke the news, Luzardo and the team agreed to a five-year extension worth $135 million for an average annual value of $27 million.
MLB Insider Robert Murray reported that the deal includes a $32.5 million team option and a $2 million incentive for every season Luzardo finished in the top 5 in Cy Young voting.
Coming to Philadelphia from Miami last offseason in a trade involving prospects Starlyn Caba and Emaarion Boyd, Luzardo found quick success with the Phillies. The lefty looked like a potential Cy Young candidate, an All-Star at the very least, through his first 11 starts, going 5-0 with a 2.15 ERA. Luzardo would then give up 20 earned runs between his next two starts and was more pedestrian throughout the rest of the season, but still showed glimpses of a player worth investing in. He finished the year with a 15-7 record, 216 strikeouts and a 3.92 ERA in 183.2 innings pitched.
Extending Luzardo was a priority for the Phillies, as outside of Cristopher Sanchez, the future of their rotation is admittedly murky between an aging Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler, an inexperienced Andrew Painter who is working to regain his form after Tommy John in 2024, and the loss of Ranger Suarez, who signed with the Boston Red Sox this offseason. Suarez signed a comparable deal, equal in length to Luzardo's, for just $1 million less annually.
Ahead of an uncertain offseason in 2027, the Phillies showed their commitment to Luzardo, regardless of the looming lockout, and will remain with a strong top of the rotation to show for it. even after this year, despite that uncertainty.
