HEADLINE

A’s acquire OF Starling Marte, send RHP Jesus Luzardo to Miami

Field Level Media

July 28, 2021 at 7:07 pm.

The Oakland Athletics are gearing up for their playoff push, acquiring outfielder Starling Marte from the Marlins and sending left-hander Jesus Luzardo to Miami.

At this point, Marte is a rental player. He was playing on a $12.5 million option picked up by Miami, and ESPN reported Miami will pay the rest of his 2021 salary.

The Marlins and Marte, 32, reportedly couldn’t agree on a contract extension.

In Oakland, Marte is expected to join Mark Canha and Ramon Laureano to make up the starting outfield. The trade comes a day after the A’s acquired LHP Andrew Chafin and cash from the Chicago Cubs for outfielder Greg Deichmann and minor league right-hander Daniel Palencia.

In 1,077 career games over 10 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2012-19), Arizona Diamondbacks (2020) and Marlins (2020-21), Marte has a .288 hatting average, 121 home runs, 472 RBIs and 271 steals.

This season, he is hitting .306 with seven homers, 25 RBIs and 22 steals. He has a career-high .407 on-base percentage.

Luzardo was a top prospect in the A’s system before his promotion to the majors in September 2019, when he posted a 1.50 ERA in six games.

He finished eighth in American League Rookie of the Year balloting in 2020 following a 3-2 season with a 1.50 ERA. But this season in Oakland, he was 2-4 with a 6.87 ERA in 13 appearances (six starts) and gave up 11 home runs in 38 innings before his demotion to Triple-A Las Vegas.

In Las Vegas, he had a 2-2 record and 6.52 ERA in 29 innings.

Entering play Thursday, the A’s were locked in a tight playoff race, just one game ahead of the Seattle Mariners for the final American League wild card. They were six games behind the AL West-leading Houston Astros.

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