How does Jesús Luzardo’s new deal stack up against other big-money contracts for starting pitchers in Phillies history?
Left-hander Jesús Luzardo secured a huge sum of cash and his future in Philadelphia on Monday, reportedly agreeing to a five-year, $135 million extension with the Phillies, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. Luzardo showed a ton of promise while staying healthy in his first season with the team, and he was rewarded with one of the most lucrative deals the franchise has ever handed to a starting pitcher.
When the new contract becomes official, this will be the sixth time the Phillies have signed a starter to a deal worth at least $100 million. Here is the full list of those contracts, with past figures according to Spotrac:
- Aaron Nola: seven years, $172 million in free agency before 2024 season
- Cole Hamels: six-year, $144 million extension in 2012
- Jesús Luzardo: five-year, $135 million extension in 2026
- Zack Wheeler: three-year, $126 million extension in 2024
- Cliff Lee: five years, $120 million in free agency before 2011 season
- Zack Wheeler: five years, $118 million in free agency before 2020 season
These big-money starter contracts have had mixed levels of success for the Phillies. Wheeler’s initial deal was a total home run, as he developed into one of the best pitchers in the major leagues after joining the team. The results of his subsequent extension are still to be determined after the first year of the new deal was shortened by thoracic outlet syndrome. The remainder of Nola’s deal is looking questionable, at least for the moment, following a career-worst season in 2025 for the right-hander.
Lee was incredible for the first three seasons of his contract to return to Philadelphia, but he did not pitch in the final year of the pact. Hamels pitched as advertised, but he was traded to the Rangers during the third year of his extension as the struggling 2015 Phillies entered rebuild mode.
Luzardo’s deal of course carries some risk, as is the case for any long-term pitching contract. He has had injury issues in the past and has a career 4.19 ERA in seven seasons. He had some brutal blowup outings last year. But the money it takes to retain top talent only continues to go up, and the 28-year-old Luzardo showed that he can pitch like a high-level starter.
If Luzardo can cut out the 12- and eight-run appearances and improve upon his 3.92 ERA in 183 2/3 innings, there’s a chance that the Phillies have a Cy Young contender for $27 million a year when this contract takes effect in 2027. And if he only continues on as he did in 2025 — a lot of stellar starts with some stretches of inconsistency — he’ll still be slotted into the No. 2 or No. 3 spot in the rotation at an appropriate salary.
As one of a handful of pitchers to receive a more-than $100 million commitment from the Phillies, Luzardo is now in an exclusive club that includes some of the best arms in recent team history. His development and performance through 2031 will determine how this deal will be remembered in Philadelphia.