Phillies Extend Jesús Luzardo, Signal Possible Trend Before MLB Lockout

This sort of deal would make sense for other teams and pitchers...

Oct 9, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesus Luzardo (44) reacts after the tenth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Jesús Luzardo was fantastic in year one with the Philadelphia Phillies, and the club didn't want to see him head to free agency on schedule.

Before what was scheduled to be his walk year, the Phillies made sure Luzardo would become part of their long-term rotation core. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Phillies and Luzardo agreed to a five-year, $135 million extension that will keep him under contract through the 2031 season.

With the impending threat of a lockout after this season, there's definitely an incentive for pitchers scheduled for free agency to find similar deals, if they exist. Those sorts of deals won't be offered to most pitchers in the class, of course, but there may be a few on the table.

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Freddy Peralta, New York Mets

Feb 27, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) warms up against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The easiest name to speculate about is New York Mets starter Freddy Peralta. Having recently told the New York Post that he's looking for a seven- or eight-year extension, Peralta effectively laid down the gauntlet for the Mets to keep him around after acquiring him in a blockbuster from the Milwaukee Brewers.

The only issue? The Mets haven't handed out any starting pitching contracts of more than three years since David Stearns took over as president of baseball operations. Will the team's rotation inconsistencies and the spectre of a lockout change that calculus?

Trevor Rogers, Baltimore Orioles

Feb 20, 2026; Sarasota, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Trevor Rogers (28) throws a pitch in the first inning against the New York Yankees during spring training at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Rogers has a much more inconsistent track record than Peralta and even slightly less than Luzardo. But he was so good last season, and the Orioles' starting pitching has been so iffy over the last few seasons, that there might be a world where a pre-free agency extension makes sense.

Is Rogers so convinced that he can come close to replicating his 1.81-ERA, 5.5-WAR season from last year that he wouldn't think about locking in a deal before the lockout?

Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins

Sep 26, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan (41) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Technically, Ryan is a year farther away from free agency than anyone else here. But in this case, it's the team that might have incentive to get a deal done rather than risking Ryan's value, both on the mound or in possible trades, dropping due to the lockout affecting his walk year.

The Twins' also seem the least likely of any team discussed here to hand out a $100 million-plus starting pitching deal, but there's always hope that a team will step up to keep a homegrown All-Star.