The Red Sox’s search for an ace starting pitcher this offseason was not, of course, much of a search at all. The team signed Lucas Giolito from the Nationals in January to an incentive-laced deal that could have run up to three years, but he’s already out for the 2024 season with elbow surgery. Giolito was not much of an ace to begin with, but now the Red Sox are without a real No. 1 starter at all.

What to do? Well, there is a chance that a stale winter rumor could yet be revived. Three months ago, the Red Sox were frequently connected with Marlins lefty Jesus Luzardo, who is 26 years old and still two years away from hitting unrestricted free agency.

And while many players might be reluctant to join an increasingly moribund bunch in Boston, according to Boston Globe beat writer Julian McWilliams, Luzardo is an exception. He has spent the entirety of his MLB career playing for tough markets in Oakland and Miami, so suiting up for a well-attended team like the Red Sox would certainly garner his interest, should the Red Sox look to put together a trade package for him.

Jesus Luzardo ‘Interested’ in Playing for Red Sox

McWilliams was speaking on the “Play Tessie” podcast  last week when the subject of the Red Sox’s absence of an ace was raised. The easy fix, and the one most often mentioned by those around baseball and covering the team, would be a signing of Rangers free-agent Jordan Montgomery.

But Montgomery after helping the Rangers to a World Series title, Montgomery is holding out for a long-term contract, especially if he is heading to a non-contender. Luzardo, though, can help immediately and has more upside than the 31-year-old Montgomery.

“I think he is a better pitcher, in terms of stuff-wise, than Jordan Montgomery is,” McWilliams said. “That’s a guy who—I covered Jesus when he was in Oakland—trust me, he would be interested in pitching. I talked to him last time when he was here and he was like, ‘Dude, I’ve never pitched in a place like this. It was an amazing experience, the mound is just different.’

“There would be interest on his part to be possibly dealt here but you don’t know what the Red Sox are thinking.”

Working on Carrying Bigger Innings Load

Of course, a few things would have to fall into place before the Red Sox could get Luzardo to Boston. The Marlins would need to put him back on the trade block—they never, apparently, came close to a deal involving Luzardo over the winter. And the Red Sox would need to see the value in short-term improvement while giving up some long-term assets.

Since becoming a consistent starter for the Marlins in 2022, he has a 14-17 record with a 3.52 ERA in 50 starts, and was seventh in the National League with 208 strikeouts in 2023.

Luzardo still needs to improve on being an innings-eating No. 1 starter, but he showed those traits last year and says he is making progress this Spring—even if his outing last week against the Astros found him battling from behind.

“Without a doubt, the focal point is getting through the innings that we need to get through, attack and getting ahead,” Luzardo said after that game, per the Miami Herald. “I felt like I threw strikes today, but it was mainly to get back in counts instead of getting ahead of the count.”