Sources: Phillies, Luzardo agree to 5-year, $135M extension
The Philadelphia Phillies locked in Jesus Luzardo a yr earlier than he was due to attain free company by reaching settlement with the left-hander on a five-year contract extension value $135 million, sources instructed ESPN.
Luzardo, 28, joined Philadelphia in a commerce earlier than the 2025 season and excelled for the Phillies, going 15-7 with a 3.92 ERA and putting out 216 in 183.2 innings. Fearful of shedding him after the 2026 season, the Phillies made Luzardo one of many highest-paid left-handers in baseball, sources stated, behind solely aces Framber Valdez, Blake Snell, Garrett Crochet and Max Fried.
Featuring a 97-mph fastball and one of many recreation’s greatest sliders, Luzardo is without doubt one of the recreation’s premier strikeout artists. He will stay in a rotation that already contains the National League Cy Young runners-up from the previous two seasons, Christopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler.
The deal, negotiated by Roger Tomas and Brodie Van Wagenen of Roc Nation, got here collectively in current weeks as Luzardo confirmed a want to stay in Philadelphia following the deal that despatched shortstop prospect Starlyn Caba and outfield prospect Emaarion Boyd to Miami in December 2024. The well-traveled Luzardo — who was drafted by Washington, traded to Oakland and traded once more to Miami — discovered stability in Philadelphia, who received the NL East final yr and is aiming for a 3rd consecutive division title. this season.
Although elbow and again accidents restricted Luzardo’s capacity to keep on the sector earlier in his profession, his expertise was by no means doubtful. A 3rd-round decide in 2016 out of Stoneman Douglas High in South Florida, the 6-foot, 220-pound Luzardo has lengthy been well-regarded for his electrical left arm.
His 216 strikeouts final season ranked second within the NL behind San Francisco ace Logan Webband his strikeout fee of 10.58 per 9 innings was behind solely Dylan Ceasewhose $210 million free agent contract over the winter, when deferred cash is accounted for, is for barely much less per yr than Luzardo’s deal.
Because of Luzardo’s low stroll fee (2.79 per 9 final yr) and talent to restrict dwelling runs (0.78 per 9), the Phillies have been comfy tackling on 5 years to his $6.625 million wage this season. Only Cy Young winners Paul Skenes and Tarik SkubalSánchez, Webb and Boston ace Garrett Crochet posted higher Fielding Independent Pitching numbers — which have a tendency to be a powerful predictor of future efficiency — than Luzardo in 2025.
