Philadelphia Phillies Major Trade Acquisition Drastically Exceeding Expectations

After a strong start to the season, the Philadelphia Phillies have hit a bit of a rough patch.

Despite the team having a lot of talent, there is some cause for concern for the Phillies. They were just swept by the New York Mets, who have started to take a commanding early lead in the National League East.

While the team is strong on paper, they simply aren’t getting the job done on the field.

One area that has once again emerged as a weakness is the bullpen. The decision to let both Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez walk in free agency has proven catastrophic.

Their replacement, Jordan Romano, has already seemingly lost his closer spot and has been the worst relief pitcher on the team.

However, even though there are some issues, there are also some positives, one of which is in the talented starting rotation.

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the one thing the Phillies should be most excited about this season being the performance of Jesus Luzardo.

“The Phillies have been able to overcome Ranger Suárez beginning the season on the injured list and Aaron Nola getting lit up early in the campaign, in large part because of Jesús Luzardo's tremendous first impression.”

Coming into the campaign, Philadelphia had arguably the best starting rotation in the league on paper. However, that hasn’t quite been the case yet with one key pitcher out and another struggling.

With Aaron Nola off to a slow start and Ranger Suarez yet to pitch in 2025, the team has been able to find ways to survive. Fortunately, Taijuan Walker has been good at filling in, but new acquisition Jesus Luzardo has also been excellent.

The Phillies acquired the talented southpaw from the Miami Marlins this winter to essentially replace Walker in the rotation, but now the two have been together due to injuries.

So far in 2025, Luzardo has totaled a 2-0 record, a 2.08 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 30.1 innings pitched. Furthermore, the 27-year-old leads the league in FIP (1.77).

As a young pitcher under team control through next year as well, Luzardo could be in Philadelphia's long-term plans.

He flashed some ability in 2023 with the Marlins, but injuries held him back last year. Now, he is seemingly reaching his potential.

It’s a good thing that Philadelphia traded for a pitcher of this caliber. If not for his performance early in this campaign, the team might be in a much worse position than they are currently.

 Recommended Articles