The Miami Marlins engaged in trade discussions involving second baseman Luis Arraez and left-handed starter Jesús Luzardo during spring training, sources told The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
The San Diego Padres made a strong offer for the pair, but a deal never came to fruition. Miami may consider trading them if the team's play doesn't improve following a rough start to the season, Rosenthal adds.
Luzardo has pitched well for the Marlins since he was acquired via trade in 2021. The southpaw owns a 1.22 WHIP and 10.4 K/9 in 346 2/3 innings for Miami. Meanwhile, Arraez won the NL Batting title last season after hitting .354 with 30 doubles and 69 RBIs. He was acquired from the Minnesota Twins before the 2023 campaign.
Following Wednesday's loss to the Los Angeles Angels, the Marlins became the first team in MLB history to start 0-7 after making the playoffs the previous year.
Miami's seven losses came against the Angels and Pittsburgh Pirates. Their schedule only gets tougher over the next three weeks, with series against the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and Chicago Cubs, as well as two against the Atlanta Braves.
Skip Schumaker's club will maneuver the upcoming schedule with a depleted pitching staff. Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez, Braxton Garrett, and Edward Cabrera are all sidelined.
The Marlins are currently operating with a $92-million player payroll and are under the guidance of first-year president of baseball operations Peter Bendix.
Bendix, a former Tampa Bay Rays employee, was tasked with operating with a similar blueprint to his former club, which has a reputation for success despite a low budget.
