Through Week 9, Jesús Luzardo was among the best performers in the EFL. It felt like a bargain to have signed him to a 4 year contract worth $8.25 million annually. He seemed a shoe-in for the All-Star Game in Atlanta, and was even considered a candidate to start the game and as an early Cy Young contender.
Finally healthy after injuries and inconsistency (and bright flashes, especially in 2023!) with the Marlins, Luzardo was doing an admirable Dr. Jekyll impression. Everything’s fine, nothing to see here. But wait…
Mr. Commissioner documented what happened last week in one of his daily reports. 12 earned runs against Milwaukee in 3.1 innings. Luzardo assured his coaches and the media that he was fine. But he did try out a new hairdo, cornrows. That didn’t help him to right the ship. 8 earned runs yesterday against Toronto in 2.1 innings.
I’ve watched his bWAR shrink from 3.0 to 1.1 in just over a week! Now I’m not sure if he’s drinking some potion to turn into an alter ego like Mr. Hyde. And I’m not sure why he’d want to. But someone may want to check the Gatorade containers in the Phillies’ dugout and locker room.
We’ve watched some actively moving Glaciers this season, I’m just worried now that Luzardo’s recent string of performances might portend a recession.
Note: Post image generated by AI (Gemini 2.5 Flash).
