Last month, the Oakland Athletics decided to send pitcher A.J. Puk to the Marlins and acquired outfielder JJ Bleday from the Marlins. Puk was selected by the Oakland A’s in the first round of the 2016 draft. In the 2019 draft, the Marlins chose JJ Bleday in the first round. Hence, these 2 teams each traded a player who was selected in the first round.
While reading the news about this trade between the A’s and the Marlins, I thought about the trade that these two teams made previously.
In July 2021, the Oakland A’s sent pitcher Jesus Luzardo to the Marlins. At the same time, they acquired outfielder Starling Marte from the Marlins. Before the trade, Jesus Luzardo made 6 starts and 7 relief appearances for the A’s in 2021. He posted a 6.87 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP in 38 innings. After being traded to the Marlins, Luzardo made 12 starts for the Marlins in 2021, posting a 6.44 ERA and a 1.60 WHIP over 57.1 innings. Luzardo didn’t have a good season in 2021. However, last season, Luzardo made 18 starts for the Marlins. He owned a 3.32 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP in a career-high 100.1 innings. But, Luzardo missed some playing time in 20222 due to injury.
In the meantime, veteran outfielder Starling Marte slashed .305/.405/.451 with 7 home runs and 25 RBI in 64 games with the Marlins. Moreover, he stole 22 bases. After being traded to the A’s, he hit .316/.359/.466 with 5 home runs, 30 RBI and 25 stolen bases in 56 games. Marte had a great 2021 season. He did really contribute to the Marlins lineup and the A’s lineup. Nonetheless, Marte didn’t stay too long in Oakland. He inked a 4-year deal with the Mets in November 2021.
For the A’s, acquiring Marte from the Marlins did enhance the lineup. Nonetheless, he only played 56 games for the A’s. For the Marlins, Jesus Luzardo didn’t have a good 2021 season and finished the season with an ERA over 6. However, last season, he did pitch much better. He tossed a career-high 100.1 innings. Furthermore, opponents only batted .191 against him. If he stays healthy, he should be a reliable choice in the Marlins rotation.
Looking back at the trade between the A’s and the Marlins in 2021, it was quite interesting. Starling Marte made an instant impact to the A’s lineup, nevertheless, he didn’t stay long in Oakland. Meanwhile, Luzardo struggled in the 2021 season. Nonetheless, it seems that the Marlins already identified a good way to help Luzardo improve his performance and he did pitch well last season.
In the 2023 season, it will be worth watching whether A.J. Puk and JJ Bleday will play well in a different uniform. Puk made 62 relief appearances for the A’s in 2022 and tossed 66.1 innings. Will he become a reliable choice in the Marlins bullpen in 2023 and toss more innings than he did in 2022? At the same time, Bleday just made his MLB debut last season and slashed .167/.277/.309 with 5 home runs and 16 RBI in 65 games. It will be interesting to see his performance in the first full season in the A’s uniform.
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