The News

The Philadelphia Phillies have traded for one of the most electric arms in baseball. The Phillies have acquired lefty Jesus Luzardo from the Miami Marlins for a package of 19-year-old shortstop Starlyn Caba and 21-year-old outfielder Emaarion Boyd, reports The Athletic.

Luzardo, 27, threw 66 ⅔ innings with a 5.00 ERA around back and elbow trouble in 2024. Injuries have, unfortunately, been an issue throughout his career. Luzardo had Tommy John surgery as an amateur in 2016 and in recent years has dealt with finger, forearm, elbow, and back trouble. The 2023 season is the only time Luzardo's made more than 18 starts in a single year in the majors.

That 2023 season shows Luzardo's potential and why the Phillies wanted him, however. He tossed 178 ⅔ innings with a 3.58 ERA and stellar strikeout (28.1% of batters faced) and walk (7.4%) rates. When healthy, Luzardo sits in the mid-90s with two fastballs (four-seamer and sinker) and has two swing-and-miss secondary offerings in his slider and changeup. It's nasty, nasty stuff.

Luzardo has two years of team control remaining and he joins an already impressive Philadelphia rotation. Here is the Phillies rotation depth chart at the moment:

1. RHP Zack Wheeler
2. RHP Aaron Nola
3. LHP Jesús Luzardo
4. LHP Cristopher Sánchez
5. LHP Ranger Suárez
6. RHP Taijuan Walker
   

Andrew Painter, a once highly touted prospect, could be ready for his MLB debut as soon as the summer, two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

For a team that just watched their division rivals sign Juan Soto, the Phillies have had a relatively quiet winter so far. They added Jordan Romano to the bullpen on a one-year deal and picked up outfielder Max Kepler last week. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Friday that his club is unlikely to make any big-ticket free-agent signings, identifying the need for a bench player and a pitcher. Luzardo clearly covers the latter.

Caba, the young shortstop headed to Miami, is a contact-first speedster who struck out less than 50 times in 78 games in 2024. Boyd, signed in the 11th round of the 2022 draft, has added power as he's advanced through the minors, though his game too is more about getting on base.

The Marlins are in the fairly early stages of another rebuild. New POBO Peter Bendix has traded away Luis Arraez, Josh Bell, Jake Burger, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Bryan De La Cruz, A.J. Puk, and Tanner Scott since replacing Kim Ng last November. Sandy Alcantara could be next to go once he shows he's fully recovered from Tommy John surgery early next season.

In their first season under Bendix, the Marlins went 62-100, tied for the third-most losses in franchise history. Miami snuck into the postseason as the third wild-card team in 2023. Less than two years later, they're back into another deep rebuild.

 President-elect Trump took issue with fees charged to use the Panama Canal, a vital shipping route, on Saturday night, claiming that he will demand oversight of the waterway be given back to the U.S. when he returns to office if it’s not changed. 

“The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This complete ‘rip-off’ of our Country will immediately stop….”

Panama charges tariffs for boats and ships to pass through its canal. Fees vary based on the size and purpose of vessels, and the charges range from as low as $0.50 to as high as $300,000.

“If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, and without question,” Trump continued. “To the Officials of Panama, please be guided accordingly!

The U.S. uses the Panama Canal more than any other country. Control of the canal was transferred from the U.S. to the Central American country in 1999 as a result of a 1979 treaty under President Jimmy Carter, which Trump said was a foolish decision. 

“When President Jimmy Carter foolishly gave it away, for One Dollar, during his term in Office, it was solely for Panama to manage, not China, or anyone else,” he stated. “It was likewise not given for Panama to charge the United States, its Navy, and corporations, doing business within our Country, exorbitant prices and rates of passage.” 

The construction of the Panama Canal began in 1904 under President Teddy Roosevelt. The waterway was built to provide a speedy way to ship goods between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. At the time, it was viewed as one of the most critical foreign policy achievements.

Trump, on Saturday, called for a “secure” Panama Canal, underscoring its importance to American national security and the economy.

“The United States has a vested interest in the secure, efficient, and reliable operation of the Panama Canal, and that was always understood. We would and will NEVER let it fall into the wrong hands! It was not given for the benefit of others, but merely as a token of cooperation with us and Panama,” he added, stating that the country is being treated “in a very unfair and injudicious way.”

 El Real Madrid busca aprovechar la derrota del Barcelona y cerrar el año como sublíder de LaLiga a un punto del Atlético, ambos con un partido pendiente.