PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jesús Luzardo found the stability in the Phillies’ rotation along with the good health he craved as he bounced around the major leagues with three other organizations.
With a chance to potentially become a free agent next offseason during a winter that could include labor strife, Luzardo decided to opt in with the Phillies over the long haul and become the latest starter with a long-term deal.
Luzardo and the Phillies finalized a $135 million, five-year contract that starts in 2027. The deal for the 28-year-old left-hander announced Tuesday calls for annual salaries of $27 million, a $32.5 million team option for 2032 and a $10 million conditional team option for 2032 that could be triggered if he spends 130 consecutive days on the injured list. The $32.5 million option would escalate by $2 million for each top finish in Cy Young Award voting. He also would receive a $1 million assignment bonus each time he is traded.
"I think this came at the perfect time for me," Luzardo said during a news conference at the Phillies' ballpark in Clearwater, Florida.
While Kyle Schwarber’s long home runs along with Bryce Harper and Trea Turner’s offensive output have keyed the Phillies to consecutive NL East titles during a run of four straight postseason appearances, Philadelphia also has placed a pricey premium on pitching.
Cristopher Sánchez has a $22.5 million, four-year contract through the 2028 season, Zack Wheeler a $126 million deal through the 2027 and Aaron Nola a $172 million, seven-year agreement through 2030. Rookie Andrew Painter is under team control through 2031 and expected to earn the fifth starter spot in the rotation.
"It gives you a lot of comfort when you know you go forward with those types of individuals," Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said.
Sánchez and Wheeler each finished second in NL Cy Young Award voting over the past two years.
Dombrowski has led baseball operations for five teams over more than three decades in the majors. His clubs have won five pennants, including the 2022 Phillies, and two World Series titles.
If Dombrowski is going to ask ownership to spend aggressively, he wants that money tied up on the mound.
“Do you have the edge or not?” Dombrowski said. “I really like having the edge myself when you look at the guy out there versus the other clubs.”
Luzardo is clearly one of those guys. He went 15-7 with a 3.92 ERA in 183 2/3 innings and was tied for second in the NL with 216 strikeouts. He finished seventh in NL Cy Young Award voting.
Luzardo agreed in January to an $11 million, one-year contract that avoided arbitration. He entered this season seven days shy of six years of major league service, a level that would have made him eligible for free agency.
"Throughout these next five, six years, the only thing I expect is to be great every time out," Luzardo said. "That’s what I work for."
He was acquired ahead of the 2025 season in a trade with Miami and instantly helped solidify the rotation as the Phillies won their second straight NL East championship. He struck out 11 in his first Philadelphia start — only Garrett Stephenson had more, with 12 against St. Louis in 1997.
Washington’s third-round pick in the 2016 amateur draft, Luzardo is 41-41 with a 4.19 ERA over seven seasons that also included stops with Oakland and the Marlins.
Luzardo dealt with various injuries throughout his career and recorded a 5.00 ERA over 12 starts for Miami in 2024 before a lumbar stress reaction ended his season. The Phillies traded two prospects for him in December 2024.
Had he become a free agent after a healthy 2026 season, Luzardo likely could have commanded a far larger deal on the open market.
"We didn’t really want to test it out ourselves," Dombrowski said, laughing.
Luzardo pitched in two postseason games for the Phillies last year, starting Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He retired 17 consecutive batters, the second-longest such streak in Phillies’ postseason history.
The Phillies had a busy offseason in which they essentially brought back - to some fan criticism - their core roster.
They gave manager Rob Thomson a one-year extension through 2027 after he led the Phillies to their fourth straight playoff appearance and signed Schwarber to a $150 million, five-year deal and three-time All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto to a $45 million, three-year contract.
They were spurned by former Toronto infielder Bo Bichette, who rejected a long-term deal in favor of a $126 million, three-year contract with the rival New York Mets. Luzardo’s emergence and his age allowed the Phillies to let Ranger Suárez walk, and the lefty signed a $130 million, five-year contract with Boston.
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AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.
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