Apr 4, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesœs Luzardo (44) reacts after pitching out of the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher
A slew of Phillies will participate in March's World Baseball Classic, but Jesús Luzardo will not be one of them.
In an appearance on MLB Network Monday, Luzardo explained why he declined invitations from both Team Venezuela and Team USA to pitch in the WBC:
"Yeah, for me, it was obviously a tough decision," Luzardo said. "For me, it's super important to represent Venezuela, my family is from there. It was a tough decision, but going off of a career-high in innings last year and a career-high in workload, looking forward to a free-agent year, I thought it was the most intelligent decision to kinda bypass the Classic, unfortunately. It was something [that was a], again, super hard and super difficult decision, but I felt like it was the most intelligent one. Hopefully, in three or four years, I'm able to do it again and represent Venezuela."
From the standpoint of wanting to pitch in the WBC, it's not surprising to hear Luzardo say that this was a difficult opportunity to pass up on. But from a business sense, this was the no-brainer of all no-brainers.
Like he said, Luzardo is entering a contract year. If he pitches anywhere close to to how he did a season ago — when he posted a 3.92 ERA, a 2.90 FIP and recorded 216 strikeouts across 183 2/3 innings pitched — Luzardo is going to get paid next winter, when he can become a free agent. One would think that if Luzardo replicates or even improves upon his first season with the Phillies, the five-year/$130 million contract that his former teammate Ranger Suárez just signed with the Boston Red Sox would be the baseline of what he can expect entering the free-agent market on the right side of 30 next winter.
At the same time, just two seasons ago Luzardo was limited to only 66 2/3 innings because of left elbow tightness and a lumbar stress reaction in what turned out to be his final campaign with the Miami Marlins. The 28-year-old knows how quickly things can change, and risking injury in the WBC just isn't worth it when he's on the cusp of a generational payday. Phillies closer Jhoan Duran, who is two years away from free agency, reportedly has made a similar decision.
It is interesting to file away for the next WBC — which will take place in 2030 — that if Luzardo pitches in the event, he'll likely do so for Team Venezuela. He was born in Peru and grew up in Florida, playing his high school ball at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, so he could definitely pitch for Team USA. Still, it seems his family's heritage would take precedent in who he would theoretically pitch for in the event.
