Which players may see their time with the Phillies come to an end as a result of the Luzardo trade? The Philadelphia Phillies acquired starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo from the Miami Marlins, marking their most significant offseason deal thus far. The Phillies’ purchase of the 27-year-old left-hander is significant, as he is expected to become a crucial core rotation piece with Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola in the future.
The addition of Luzardo will undoubtedly have an impact not only on the Phillies’ pitching staff, but also on the whole team makeup. As a result of the trade deal, some expected and unexpected candidates may find themselves leaving town. With that, let us take A look at three Phillies players that may not return in 2025 due to Luzardo.
Following the trade of Jesús Luzardo, three Phillies players will not return in 2025.
Taijuan Walker
Taijuan Walker, an experienced right-handed pitcher, is one of the most obvious contenders to go. Walker, who signed a four-year, $72 million contract during the 2022-23 offseason, was expected to become a crucial piece in the Phillies’ rotation, supporting Wheeler, Nola, and the rest of the team. However, following a respectable first season with Philadelphia, in which Walker led the team in victories (15), he entirely collapsed during an injury-plagued 2024 season.
In fact, he had one of the worst seasons for a Phillies pitcher in the majors in 2024, going 3-7 with a 7.10 ERA and 1.72 WHIP, allowing 66 earned runs, including 24 home runs, 37 walks, and 58 strikeouts in just 83 2/3 innings pitched over 19 games (including 15 starts).
Things grew so bad for Walker that he was demoted to the bullpen near the close of the season in the hopes of fixing what was wrong with him, but to no effect. With the uncertainty of whether he can restore his previous form, the Phillies no longer have to wait for the outcome, as the addition of Luzardo definitely replaces Walker in the rotation.
With Walker’s future in 2025 uncertain following his struggles as a reliever last season, Philadelphia would likely want to unload his contract now in any manner possible.
Alec Bohm
Third baseman Alec Bohm has been featured in multiple trade speculations this summer and remains a possible trade chip for the Phillies in the future. Since Philadelphia has already gone big with the Luzardo move, they should keep the momentum going and sign at least one more star player to push the squad over the top. However, in order to get quality, you must sacrifice part of it.
With Bohm still only 28 years old and entering his peak, he may be the one piece the Phillies need to land a significant difference-maker. Despite the Phillies’ recent claims that they are not looking to move Bohm, MLB insider Jon Morosi believes he is on the trade block.
This season, Bohm was relatively effective for the Phillies, hitting 15 home runs and driving in 97 runs.280 are now in the process. However, some troubles near the end of 2024 eventually contributed to a dismal postseason in which he managed only one hit in 13 at-bats, resulting in the Phillies’ early playoff exit.
For much of his career, Bohm has struggled in the postseason for Philadelphia, having a.214 average and.629 OPS with only two home runs, 14 RBI, 11 walks, and 25 strikeouts in 34 games. By reducing Bohm’s contract and converting him into a proven elite commodity like Nolan Arenado or Alex Bregman via trade or free agency, the Phillies may be able to complete the puzzle and reach their goal.
Ranger Suarez
Finally, we have Ranger Suárez, a longtime Phillies starter. Despite having his ups and downs largely in a relief role with Philadelphia during his first few seasons in the league, Suárez finally broke
after permanently assuming a starting spot during the 2022 season. Last season, he set a record for one of the finest regular-season starts. Despite some troubles in the second half of the season, Suárez finished with a 12-8 record, 3.46 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 41 walks, and 145 strikeouts in 150 2/3 innings of work across 27 starts.
However, fresh rumors this offseason imply that Suárez could be traded. After all, he demonstrated some durability difficulties in the second half of 2024, which limited his usefulness. Furthermore, the fact that the Phillies extended Cristopher Sánchez but not Suárez obviously indicated that he might not be in their long term plans. plans. Suárez’s recent change of agency to the infamous Scott Boras, who is known for negotiating some of MLB’s most lucrative contracts, almost guarantees he will not sign an extension in the coming year. As a result, with Luzardo emerging as a potential elite rotation replacement for Suárez in the long run, the Phillies should take advantage of Suárez’s current high worth to recuperate some key assets.
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