ESPN sources reported that the Philadelphia Phillies secured southpaw Jesus Luzardo with a five-year, $135 million contract extension, a year ahead of when he was scheduled to become a free agent.
At 28, Luzardo arrived in Philadelphia via a trade prior to the 2025 season and performed exceptionally for the Phillies, posting a 15-7 record with a 3.92 ERA and fanning 216 batters across 183.2 innings. Concerned about his potential departure after the 2026 season, the Phillies elevated Luzardo to one of baseball’s top-earning southpaws, according to sources, surpassed only by star pitchers Framber Valdez, Blake Snell, Garrett Crochet, and Max Fried.
Boasting a 97-mph fastball and one of the sport’s finest sliders, Luzardo stands as an elite whiff specialist. He will continue as part of a pitching staff that presently features Cristopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler, both National League Cy Young finalists from the preceding two seasons.
The agreement, brokered by Roc Nation’s Roger Tomas and Brodie Van Wagenen, materialized in recent times. This occurred as Luzardo expressed an inclination to stay with Philadelphia after the transaction in December 2024 that moved promising shortstop Starlyn Caba and aspiring outfielder Emaarion Boyd to Miami. The oft-moved Luzardo — initially selected by Washington, then dealt to Oakland, and subsequently moved to Miami — established permanence in Philadelphia, a team that claimed the NL East title the previous year and is now pursuing a third successive division crown this season.
Despite elbow and back injuries hindering Luzardo’s capacity to remain active during his nascent career, his talent was perpetually evident. A selection in the third round in 2016 from Stoneman Douglas High in South Florida, the 6-foot, 220-pound Luzardo has long been esteemed for his powerful southpaw delivery.
His 216 whiffs last season placed him second in the NL, trailing San Francisco ace Logan Webb, and his K-rate of 10.58 per nine innings was surpassed solely by Dylan Cease. Cease’s $210 million free agent contract over the winter, when deferred money is factored in, amounts to marginally less per year than Luzardo’s agreement.
Due to Luzardo’s minimal base on balls rate (2.79 per nine last year) and his capacity to restrict long balls (0.78 per nine), the Phillies were confident adding five years to his $6.625 million remuneration this season. In 2025, only Cy Young winners Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, along with Sánchez, Webb, and Boston’s ace Garrett Crochet, achieved superior Fielding Independent Pitching numbers — which often serve as a reliable indicator of subsequent output — compared to Luzardo.