Should the Yankees give the NL club’s promising left-hander a chance?

This interesting left-handed starter, who is considered a transfer candidate, could potentially have a big impact for the New York Yankees if healthy.

Although the bullpen is said to be the Yankees’ top priority before the trade deadline, they are also making calls about starters, as MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on MLB Network. High heat Start of the week.

One starting pitcher who is attracting transfer interest is injured left-hander Jesus Luzardo of the Miami Marlins.

As MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports wrote in a column Sunday morning:

“Miami Marlins left-hander Jesus Luzardo is on the injured list until at least August 18 due to a lumbar stress reaction (back). However, that hasn’t stopped teams from inquiring about his availability, as they believe he will still have an impact in the championship phase and in the postseason.

The reason teams are interested in Luzardo is because he is coming off an impressive 2023 season in which he posted a 3.58 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 130 ERA+ and 208 strikeouts in 178.1 innings (32 starts).

However, things have not gone well for the young left-hander this year, as he has a 5.00 ERA, a 1.25 WHIP and 58 strikeouts in 66.2 innings (12 starts). He is currently on the IL for the second time this season due to a lower back injury. His first stint on the bench was earlier this season due to an elbow injury.

As rough as 2024 has been for Luzardo, he’s only 26 years old and has two years left on his contract, plus he’s due less than $5.5 million for the rest of the year. The Marlins don’t seem anywhere near competitive, so they could try to trade Luzardo for the right package of young players. However, the promising pitcher’s value isn’t that high right now due to his rough season.

Given their rotation depth, the Yankees could sign Luzardo and afford to wait until mid- or late August, when he is expected to return from injury. GM Brian Cashman will likely be busy signing at least two relievers at the deadline, and if he were to trade Luzardo as well, the Yankees could move one of their starters to the bullpen down the stretch.

Luzardo has been considered a rising star for several years since being called up to the major leagues in 2019. He’s finally come into it over the past two seasons, and if he stays healthy, he could certainly help a contender like the Yankees make a serious start to the postseason in October.