Reaction to a mock Jesus Luzardo trade with the Boston Red Sox

Marlin Maniac’s sister site BoSox Injection recently proposed a deal that would send standout pitcher Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins to the Boston Red Sox. This trade would be one step in a holistic offseason restructuring in Boston.

Why this trade makes sense for the Boston Rex Sox

The Red Sox, who have been strangely quiet over the past few seasons, appear to be primed for a massive offseason. They are reportedly favorites to sign superstar Juan Soto. If they can land a superstar, they will certainly look for other supporting talent to complement their roster. If they miss, it makes sense for them to reallocate those funds to multiple upgrades across multiple positions.

Regardless, a young lefty under team control would be a valuable addition. While the first article doesn’t mention any specific compensation, the Red Sox appear to be a motivated trade partner.

Why this trade makes sense for the Miami Marlins

Luzardo was reportedly in trade during the trade deadline last year before an untimely injury ended any impetus for a move. The 27-year-old remains a possible trade candidate.

Miami also demonstrated its desire to trade established major league players for promising players in a series of midseason trades. While Luzardo is young enough to remain with the Marlins throughout their rebuild, it stands to reason that club president Peter Bendix could consider the starter as another trade asset.

What could the Marlins get in return?

That is the most important question! Boston’s farm system has a ton of top-tier talent. While top-25 prospects like Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel and Kristian Campbell would certainly be untouchable, the Red Sox still have notable chips.

A mock trade from Sports Illustrated has floated the name of shortstop Franklin Arias as a potential candidate for a Luzardo deal. Arias, a 19-year-old, recently made MLB’s top 100 prospects list (No. 95 overall). While his young age could lead to ups and downs in his value, this type of trade would give Miami something they were unable to acquire during all of their deadline trades: an established top-100 prospect.

To clarify, this SI article also mentions 23-year-old Chase Meidroth as another traveling from Boston to Miami. This would provide Miami with an MLB-ready utility infielder.

The verdict

While it would be painful to part with a high-profile sudo ace like Luzardo, a hypothetical deal for talent like Arias and Meidroth would be well worth it for Miami.

The Marlins’ farm system has risen from 29th in baseball to 15th. However, there is still plenty of room for the club to grow as it continues to seek new prospects.

Bendix and Co. should seriously consider trading Luzardo in just about any deal that would land them a spot in the top 100. In the specific case of this Jesus-for-Arias-and-Meidroth deal, the Fish would do well to take advantage and run.