Dave Dombrowski, the Philadelphia Phillies’ president of baseball operations has made several trades since joining the organization in 2021. The deals are not considered blockbusters and were made to boost the club’s overall depth.
The latest trade involved Philadelphia acquiring starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo and catcher/outfielder Paul McIntosh from the Miami Marlins on Dec. 22. The Phillies traded two prospects: shortstop Starlyn Caba, their No. 4 ranked prospect, and outfielder Emaarion Boyd in exchange.
Washington D.C. news reporter and producer John Stolnis, a Phillies writer for Billy Penn and the blog The Good Phight, lists the team’s trade for Luzardo as the best that Dombrowski has made during his years with Philadelphia.
The Phillies’ lack of blockbuster trades during Dombrowski’s tenure with the franchise certainly supports Stolnis’ opinion. If the Phillies had acquired starter Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox, that would have been considered a big trade, given the pitcher’s potential and the top prospects Philadelphia would have needed to part with to get the deal done. Ultimately, Chicago dealt the left-hander to the Boston Red Sox for multiple prospects in December.
Luzardo’s contract expires after the 2026 season, as he has two more years of arbitration remaining. The Phillies hope he can rebound from an injury-riddled 2024, much like they are doing so from reliever Jordan Romano, who they signed to a one-year deal in free agency.
Is the Luzardo acquisition Dombrowski’s best trade to date with the Phillies?
Luzardo’s numbers in 2023 were that of a mid-to-end rotation starter, which is what his role will be with the Phillies in 2025. He had a 10-10 record, a 3.58 ERA, and a 1.21 WHIP in 32 starts two years ago. The left-hander allowed 55 walks and had 208 strikeouts in 178 2/3 innings pitched. Against Philadelphia in a start during Game 1 of the 2023 National League Wild Card Series, he surrendered eight hits, three earned runs, and had five strikeouts in four innings pitched.
The Lima, Peru native finished with a 3-6 record, a 5.00 ERA, and a 1.25 WHIP in only 12 starts last year. The Marlins placed Luzardo on the 15-day IL with left elbow tightness at the end of April. He returned in mid-May from the injury and made seven starts before sustaining another ailment. The 27-year-old missed the remainder of the season with a lumbar stress reaction in his back.
If Luzardo remains healthy during 2025 and matches his statistics from two seasons ago with the Marlins, the trade could be Dombrowski’s best to date with the Phillies among those additions listed by Stolnis. Among the additions via trade the executive has made during the past four years with the organization, José Alvarado, Brandon Marsh and Edmundo Sosa are the players who are still with the team.
The additions of Noah Syndergaard and David Robertson did not make too much of an impact. Michael Lorenzen threw a memorable no-hitter for Philadelphia in 2023 but was inconsistent as a starter and reliever with the club. Sosa has been used primarily in a reserve role when the Phillies have a healthy infield. He has done decent when he has been used as a starter at second or third base and shortstop.
Austin Hays ended up being Dombrowski’s worst trade addition of Stolnis’ listed players as the outfielder missed time in August with a left hamstring strain and during September with a kidney infection. The Phillies decided to non-tender him this offseason, making him a free agent.
Carlos Estévez gave the Phillies a much-needed proven closer after his addition at last year’s trade deadline. He saved six games in eight opportunities. Fans will remember that he allowed a grand slam in Game 4 of the National League Divisional Series against the New York Mets. Philadelphia elected to go in a different direction in free agency by signing Romano to a short-term deal rather than signing Estévez to a more expensive deal for multiple years. At the time of this writing, he is still a free agent.
Alvarado has had mixed production during his time with Philly. With his production in 2023, he looked like the best option to be their primary closer entering last season. The Phillies decided to have multiple relievers in the closer’s role before the trade for Estévez. The left-hander did not do well last summer and became unreliable as an option to pitch in the late innings of close games. At the start of spring training this year, he looks to be an unreliable option to use in a setup role. However, manager Rob Thomson will likely use him in this role during the regular season.
Marsh has been relatively reliable since being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels during the 2022 season. He remains the Phillies’ second-best outfielder, a position group that remains a weakness for the club entering spring training. Following a career-high .830 OPS in 2023, he regressed in that category last year with a .747 OPS. He does strike out a lot, as his 154 punchouts were the second-most on the team in 2024.
If Luzardo’s numbers resemble or surpass those he posted in 2023, this could be a solid trade for the organization. If he contributes to the Phillies winning a World Series in the next two seasons while under contract, that will make the trade payoff.
Trading one of your top five prospects in Caba does add apprehension to declaring the deal the best of Dombrowski’s time with Philly. However, Luzardo’s 208 strikeouts in 32 starts two seasons ago are impressive. He increases the club’s starting rotation depth and represents a better option in the rotation entering spring training following Taijuan Walker’s disastrous 2024 season.
