Three Phillies who will not return in 2025 following the trade of Jesús Luzardo
Which players may see their time with the Phillies coming to an end as a result of the Luzardo trade?
The acquisition of starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo from the Miami Marlins was the Philadelphia Phillies’ largest offseason transaction to date. The Phillies made a huge purchase in the 27-year-old left-hander, who is expected to join Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler as a vital member of the core rotation in the future.
Luzardo’s arrival will undoubtedly have an impact on the Phillies’ whole roster composition in addition to their pitching staff. Therefore, as a result of the trade transaction, some anticipated and unexpected candidates may be leaving town. Now, let’s examine three Phillies players that Luzardo may make unavailable in 2025.
Three Phillies who will not return in 2025 following the trade of Taijuan Walker by Jesús Luzardo
Taijuan Walker, an experienced right-handed pitcher, is one of the clear contenders who may be leaving. The Phillies wanted Walker to be a vital part of their rotation to help Wheeler, Nola, and company at the moment, so they inked a huge four-year, $72 million contract during the 2022–2023 offseason. But following a solid first season in Philadelphia, when he led the club in victories (15), Walker absolutely collapsed during the injury-plagued 2024 season.
In fact, in 2024, he recorded a 3-7 record with a miserable 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). It was one of the worst seasons for a Phillies in major league affairs.
Walker’s condition deteriorated to the point where he was forced to the bullpen near the close of the season in the hopes of curing his illness, but to no effect. Walker is now completely out of the Phillies’ rotation due to Luzardo’s signing, which eliminates the ambiguity surrounding his ability to return to his previous level of play. After watching Walker struggle as a reliever the previous season, Philadelphia would probably want to sell his deal as soon as possible because his position is now uncertain until 2025.
Bohm, Alec
Third baseman Alec Bohm is still a possible trade piece for the Phillies in the future, despite being the subject of many trade speculations throughout the current offseason. Philadelphia should keep the momentum going and sign at least one more high-profile player to elevate the squad to the next level, since they have already gone big with the Luzardo acquisition. However, you must also sacrifice some quality in order to add quality.
Bohm would be the ideal component the Phillies could use to acquire a significant difference-maker because he is only 28 years old and approaching his prime. MLB insider Jon Morosi undoubtedly believed that Bohm is on the trade block, even though the Phillies just stated that they are not trying to move him.
Bohm continued to be somewhat effective with the Phillies this past season, hitting for 15 home runs and 97 RBI.280 in the process. He only managed one hit in 13 at-bats during the Phillies’ terrible postseason, which ended early due to several difficulties near the end of 2024.
Bohm has really struggled for Philadelphia in the postseason for a large portion of his career, amassing a.214 average and.629 OPS in 34 postseason games with only two home runs, 14 RBI, 11 walks, and 25 strikeouts. The Phillies might eventually reach the promised land if Bohm’s contract is terminated and he is transformed into a proven elite commodity, like Nolan Arenado or Alex Bregman, via trade or free agency, respectively.
Suárez Ranger
Last but not least is Ranger Suárez, a veteran Phillies starter. During his first three seasons in the league, Suárez struggled mostly in a relief role with Philadelphia, but in 2022, he made a permanent transition into a starting role, which marked his formal breakthrough. He even set a new record last season with one of the finest regular-season starts. Suárez pitched 150 2/3 innings during 27 starts, recording a 12-8 record, 3.46 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 41 walks, and 145 strikeouts despite significant setbacks in the second part of the season.
But according to recent reports this summer, Suárez may be up for trade. After all, his efficacy was ultimately impacted by some durability difficulties he displayed in the second part of 2024. Furthermore, it was evident that Suárez might not be in the Phillies’ long-term plans when they decided to extend Cristopher Sánchez but not Suárez.
That almost ensures Suárez won’t be getting an extension anytime soon in the upcoming year, especially since he just switched agents to the notorious Scott Boras, who is renowned for negotiating some of MLB’s most lucrative contracts. The Phillies should thus take advantage of selling Suárez while his worth is still high in order to recover some precious assets, as Luzardo is a long-term excellent replacement for Suárez in the rotation.
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