Miami Marlins trade Starling Marte to Oakland Athletics for prospect Jesus Luzardo

The inclusion of the 23-year-old Luzardo has to be seen as eye-opening, especially considering Marte will be a mere rental for the small-market A’s.

Considered one of the top pitching prospects in the game a couple years ago, Luzardo has struggled at the big-league level. He’s pitched to a 2-4 record with a 6.87 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 13 games (six starts) this season. With that said, the tools are more than there for the Peru native to be a top-end rotation option.

As for Marte heading to the Athletics, this is obviously a win-now move for Billy Beane and Co. The A’s sit at 56-46 on the season and six games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West but have struggled recently.They are also just one game ahead of the division-rival Seattle Mariners for the final Wild Card spot.

Marte will add a lot to the Oakland lineup. The former All-Star is hitting .306 with seven homers, 25 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 63 games this season. He also boasts a robust .859 OPS. With Marte in the mix, Oakland now has a capable three-headed group in the outfield, also consisting of Ramon Laureano and Mark Canha.