Breaking down both of the prospects acquired for Jesús Luzardo

Another domino fell on Sunday morning in the Marlins’ strategy to foster long-term internal success. Seeking to continue to bolster their farm system, Miami parted ways with Broward County resident and fan favorite lefty Jesús Luzardo.

Luzardo’s acquisition was viewed as a slam-dunk by Kim Ng when he was swapped for Starling Marte in 2021. There was a lot to like about a fireballing 23-year-old lefty with a wipeout slider coming to the tutelage of Mel Stottlemyre Jr. It took less than a year for Luzardo to start to show off his true potential. With improved control and command, he posted a 6.1 WAR in 25 games with Miami in 2022 and 2023.

One thing limited Luzardo’s potential to be a bonafide ace: injuries. In three-and-a-half years with the Marlins, Luzardo spent significant time on the IL, including nearly all of 2024 with left elbow tightness and a lumbar stress reaction. His next game regular season game pitched will be his first in nearly a full calendar year. In parting ways with Luzardo now, the Marlins were clearly not comfortable betting on his health holding up and thus potentially increasing his value at the trade deadline or beyond. He leaves his hometown team with a career 4.15 ERA, 3.78 FIP, 1.231 WHIP, and 3.08 K/BB ratio in 403.0 IP.

What did the Marlins get from the Philadelphia Phillies? How much better did they make their division rival in the short term and will it be worth how much they received for their long-term future? Here’s an in-depth look at the return.

Starlyn Caba

Caba is a 5’9”, 170-pound switch-hitting infielder from the Dominican Republic. Heading into the 2022-23 international signing period, he was viewed as the 13th-best prospect available by MLB Pipeline, drawing semblance to Francisco Lindor. He exhibited a high floor based on his ability to hit from both sides and to all fields and based on his very advanced defensive skill set. The Phillies signed him for a very lucrative $3 million.

From very early on in his pro career, Caba showed two things offensively: patience and speed. In his first career game in the Dominican, he went 2-for-4 with a walk and a stolen base. In his first month, he hit .290/.424/.398 and stole nine bases. Overall, he wound up with a .301/.423/.346 slash with more walks than strikeouts. Defensively, Caba frequently put on a show, flashing incredible range and a strong arm in response to any ball hit his way.

Caba came stateside this past season, starting 2024 with the FCL Phillies Blue. There, another hot start was achieved. In his stateside debut, Caba hit his first pro homer and walked. On May 25, 2024, he recorded three hits and stole four bases. Through his first 33 games, he had recorded 38 steals. Ultimately, Caba hit .254/.427/.335 while once again walking more than he K’d (34/51 K/BB). That initial stateside production at the plate along with his stellar glove earned him the title of best player in the FCL per Baseball America. At the end of the FCL season, the Phillies had seen enough to give Caba a longer look and extend his 2024 season as he was promoted to Low-A.

Though his defense persisted and proved it could play up to full-season levels, Caba struggled to find contact against more advanced stuff. He hit just .189 with a lowly .207 BABIP. That said, he was playing against competition nearly three years his elder as one of the youngest players on the circuit. Caba’s hit tool is still quite raw but is very projectable due to his ability to stay patient. By a continuance of added size and strength as well as more experience, better bat paths and better contact rates, there’s a ton of upside here via an already present quiet, quick-twitch approach.

Defensively, Caba is already nearing MLB readiness. He shows extremely intuitive reads off the bat, goes to both sides of the field, has lightning quick hands, and overall, exceptional athleticism. Amongst more than a few prospects at the lower levels of the system, he’s the most sure-fire defensive shortstop which raises his floor considerably.

With a lot the hard stuff out of the way early and gaps that should be able to be filled naturally, Caba earns his MLB Top 100 prospect status and should come into the Marlins organization as the top positional prospect. Expect him to take part in stateside MiLB camp for the first time this spring before starting 2025 back in the Low-A ranks. He finds himself in an advantageous situation with an organization that has no reason to rush him. The Marlins should remain patient with this player and fully groom him, potentially making him MLB-ready by the end of 2027. This is a mutually beneficial player-organization relationship.

Emaarion Boyd

Boyd was drafted as a high schooler out of Mississippi in 2022. At 6’, 160 as a senior, he drew praise for his build as well as his mixture of speed, which he flaunted by running a 6.56 60-yard-dash, per Perfect Game. He was also lauded for a strong arm that evaluators thought would play in center field long term. At the plate, Boyd showcased twitchy tools with the ability to stay short with swing decisions while still maintaining aggression. The Phillies selected Boyd with the 332nd overall pick. It took a $647,500 signing bonus to convince him to turn pro, the second-highest sum committed to a player in Philly's draft class that year.

Following a cup of coffee in his draft year, Boyd made a good impression in his first full pro season. In 91 games at Low-A, he slashed .262/.366/.324. What he lacked in power he made up for with blazing speed. Boyd’s 56 stolen bases led the entire Florida State League. Boyd also showed a decent ability to work counts, striking out less than 15% of the time and walking at an 8.7% clip. Inhibiting him was the ability to hit the ball in the air: his 60% ground ball rate was easily the highest among all Florida State League qualifiers.

A promotion to High-A this past season was met with a decrease in contact and an increase in whiffs. Against better stuff, particularly breaking stuff out of the zone, Boyd struggled. His lack of loft also persisted as he posted a 52% ground ball rate. Despite being on base much less, Boyd’s speed persisted as he stole another 27 bases. His defense was still solid as well as he showed the ability to cover all necessary ground and then some in center field, where he saw more time compared to 2023.

Overall, Boyd earns top marks for 70-grade speed, which, along with a plus arm, allot him a 50-grade field. He will need to work on making up for a lack of power by finding more consistent contact as he moves up the MiLB ladder. If Boyd can do that and simply get on base at a plus rate in whatever way possible then let his speed go to work for him, he has the ceiling of a starting outfielder. If not, his speed and defense should carry him to at least a bench role at the next level. His 2025 season with a new organization is a big season for his development.

Interested in learning more about the Miami Marlins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!