Jesus Luzardo and the Philadelphia Phillies are in agreement on a five-year, $135 million contract, ESPN’s Jeff Passan has reported. The left-hander had some great moments in his first season with the Phillies. This was a move that Philadelphia needed to get done quickly before Luzardo had an opportunity to hit the open market.

First Season In Philadelphia

luzardo

Oct 6, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher (44) reacts after throwing against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during game two of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Luzardo had an incredible first season in Philadelphia despite a few inconsistencies. He produced six double-digit strikeout games and was amongst the league leaders in total strikeouts. He had ten starts with at least seven innings pitched, showing the ability to handle a large workload for the first time in his career.

Luzardo had a few rough starts, most notably on May 31st against the Milwaukee Brewers, where he allowed 12 runs in just over three innings pitched. This was an important part of his progress, however, as it forced him to tighten up his delivery and allowed him to show up down the stretch.

Importance To Rotation

luzardo
Sep 24, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesus Luzardo (44) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Luzardo is a major part of the Phillies’ rotation, both right now and in the future. With the team moving on from Ranger Suarez in the offseason, Luzardo became the man who was supposed to step into that steady, clutch role. He is expected to be a top-three pitcher for Philadelphia in 2026, with his name being brought up as a potential Cy-Young contender.

Luzardo will be important well past 2026, as the length of Zack Wheeler’s career is currently unknown. Having someone who can step in and comfortably fill in for a pitcher of that caliber would be huge, and he might be that guy.

End Of My Luzardo Rant

Luzardo is one of the best pitchers in the entire MLB. The Phillies being able to lock him up before he can enter the open market could prove to be a huge deal, considering the recent price tag on free agent pitchers. The five-year deal will carry the 28-year-old through his age-33 season.