The Oakland A’s were looking to address multiple areas before the trade deadline. With holes at short, in the outfield, and in the bullpen, the A’s had plenty of work to do. They had already begun addressing the bullpen with their acquisition of Andrew Chafin, and on Wednesday, they addressed the outfield as well.
In a thoroughly shocking move, the A’s have acquired Starling Marte from the Marlins. In exchange, Oakland is sending Jesus Luzardo to Miami.
Jesus Luzardo goes to Marlins for Marte
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 28, 2021
Oakland A’s make shocking trade to land Starling Marte
Marte, the best outfielder available on the trade block, is certainly an upgrade for the A’s. He has produced a .306/.407/.453 batting line in his 274 plate appearances, hitting seven homers and 11 doubles while stealing 22 bases. He gives Oakland a dynamic player for the top of the lineup, something that they have sorely needed.
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But the cost to get Marte was steep. While the Marlins are paying the rest of his salary this season, they have still landed an intriguing long term option in Luzardo. He had once been considered the future ace for the A’s, a key part of their future who would lead the rotation for the foreseeable future.
Instead, his inconsistency at the major league level has led the A’s to move on. After a promising rookie campaign, he had posted a disastrous 6.87 ERA and a 1.632 WHiP over his 38 innings. While he struck out 40 batters and issued just 16 walks, he had also allowed 11 homers in that time, leading to his banishment to the minors.
As bad as Luzardo was at the major league level, he was about the same at Triple-A. He had a 6.52 ERA and a 1.655 WHiP in his 29 innings, striking out 26 batters with 15 walks. While he had done a much better job at keeping the ball in the park, he just did not look like the future ace he was expected to be any longer.
Perhaps a change of scenery will allow Luzardo to live up to his potential. He still has the stuff that made him such a highly regarded prospect, but just could not put it together. While Marte could be the missing piece in the A’s outfield, this may be a trade that the fans on both sides remember for a long time.
The Oakland A’s have improved their outfield by adding Starling Marte. However, by sending Jesus Luzardo to Miami, he came at a steep price.