On the heels of an NL-worst 52-110 showing, the Diamondbacks are generally expected to be in for a quiet winter. Last month, Arizona GM Mike Hazen frankly acknowledged that competing in a loaded division in 2022 looked unlikely, and he sounded slightly more open than he’d been in the past to considering trades that would send away marquee members of the roster.
Still, Hazen pushed back against the possibility of a full rebuild at that time, and assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye took a similar stance yesterday when speaking with reporters (including Zach Buchanan of the Athletic). Asked about the possibility of moving high-caliber, controllable players like Ketel Marte, Zac Gallen and Carson Kelly, Sawdaye reiterated that the D-Backs hope to build around what he called “cornerstone-type players.” Just as Hazen has on a few occasions, Sawdaye said the Snakes would “never say never” on any possibility, but he also didn’t sound anxious to tear the roster to the studs.
“We go into every season with the idea that we want to put the best possible team out there that’s going to go out and compete,” Sawdaye said (via Buchanan). “I don’t think we ever wave the white flag and say, ‘Well, we’re going to give up on ’22.” Sawdaye instead suggested the D-Backs would look for external upgrades, pointing to the bullpen and third base as areas of need.
The Diamondbacks had plenty of issues this past season, but it’s arguable that the relief corps was the biggest culprit. Only the Orioles and Nationals had a worse bullpen ERA than Arizona’s 5.08, and D-Backs relievers ranked dead last in both SIERA (4.56) and strikeout/walk rate differential (9.7 percentage points). Since the end of the season, they’ve already picked up a pair of relief options (Zack Burdi and Edwin Uceta) off waivers, but it seems they’ll scour the free agent market for additional options. Sawdaye didn’t suggest the D-Backs would play for top-of-the-market arms like Raisel Iglesias or Kendall Graveman, but the front office has plenty of lower-cost candidates to choose from. The Snakes can add at least add some veteran stability to the middle innings, since they’re only returning one reliever (Sean Poppen) who worked at least ten innings with a sub-4.00 SIERA in 2021.
On the position player side, Sawdaye called third base “the clearest need on our infield.” Eduardo Escobar and Asdrúbal Cabrera soaked up the bulk of the innings there this year, but both players were moved to contenders before the end of the season. The D-Backs could theoretically make another run at either player now that they’re free agents, but Escobar seems likely to price himself out of their market and Cabrera didn’t play particularly well. Beyond Kris Bryant and Kyle Seager, the free agent market offers mostly utility types at the hot corner.
Interestingly, Sawdaye suggested the D-Backs could try to pick up a controllable third base option via trade. Even if Arizona doesn’t wind up trading long-term assets, they could move someone like starter Merrill Kelly, who’ll make just $5.25MM in his final year of team control. Perhaps a Kelly deal could bring back a controllable infielder, and Sawdaye also floated the possibility of a “prospect-for-prospect-type deal” eventually coming together. The D-Backs themselves were part of perhaps the most notable trade of that kind in recent memory, when they picked up Gallen from the Marlins for Jazz Chisholm Jr. at the 2019 trade deadline.
There seems to be a bit of room on the books for the front office to make some upgrades, even if none of Sawdaye’s comments portend a pursuit at the top of the market. Jason Martinez of Roster Resource projects the D-Backs’ 2022 commitments around $80MM at the moment, and non-tenders of players like Christian Walker, Noé Ramirez and Caleb Smith could knock a few million dollars off that mark. Arizona entered the 2021 campaign with a payroll just shy of $96MM, in the estimation of Cot’s Baseball Contracts. If owner Ken Kendrick is willing to spend at that level again, then Arizona could be more active than one might expect in augmenting the roster around the margins.
Well, this makes it official. The Diamondbacks have a plan.
*Proceeds to trade Escobar at the deadline*
Dbacks front office: “we need a third basemen”
Well no s**t
*Proceeds to get rid of Archie Bradley*
“ We need bullpen help”
This is part of a rebuild. Trade away starters for prospects. Fill those holes temporarily with stop-gap players.
A “Quiet Winter” may just bring about another 52-110 season
That’s funny!!!
Sources: every team in the league targeting bullpen help
Boras’ new interview claiming ATL won because other teams’s “competitive cancer” of tanking. Bleh. Let’s not point the finger at the rest of the NL East and why those 4 (2-3 competitive) weren’t making similar moves to gain momentum and separate from the pack. Those statements are also disingenuous to what their players – Freeman/Riley/Fried especially – did to get them the division/title from being .500 in August. You could make a solid case that Freeman/Fried were top-2 hottest position player and pitcher in the league post-AS Game. I know it hurts Boras’ cold-dead heart to know that he doesn’t represent any of those 4 players, but would he have said something if LAD won (with his player: Max Scherzer)? Probably not. Send your assistant out to Target for a “congratulations” card and send to ATL/AA for batting 1.000 at the Trade Deadline even though it doesn’t benefit you one iota, except to show some goodwill.
Boras doesn’t rep anyone on the Braves, does he?
I don’t believe so, but I could be wrong. You SHOULD note, his clients do include lost souls left in the wake of the Braves run, including Altuve, Corey Seager, the aforementioned Scherzer, Bellinger, Urias, the inactive McCullers Jr….so yeah, Braves winning means he’ll have a lot more work to do to compile those legendary Trapper Keepers of his clients to get dat money.
Yeah I just looked and it doesn’t appear he does. I saw a ton of Dodgers, Nats, and Phillies though. Scott Boras is not a Braves fan confirmed… /s
Boras is actually a really funny guy. Unfortunately, he usually isn’t trying to be funny.
Sounded to me like he was trying to call out MLB for being so soft on tanking, and I don’t necessarily disagree, but it came across as sour grapes because of his choice of example.
Boras belongs in the same clown car as Manfred. He doesn’t care about “the good of the game” – he cares about the business of baseball. Not the same thing. He loves blackout restrictions and laughs when a child cries. Considering a historic amount of injuries happened after a condensed season – all knew that the Trade Deadline this season would be more important than most. The idea that the system is broke because AA struck gold on a few expiring contracts traded while injured or going through a hot streak is silly. Hate the playa, not the game. If anyone was tanking, it was WSH getting a modest return on his client: Scherzer and Turner (when Bauer looked like he wasn’t coming back) — on a 100-win team who is the richest team in MLB. But let’s not use that as an example. Let’s spit fire because CLE traded an expiring 8M injured player that played out of his mind for a few weeks and Soler stayed hot. Kicking dirt never looked so bad.
We, the Reds, happen to have two third basemen…
Would hate to see Suarez go, but he would be a good fit in AZ.
Wait the Reds are down to only two third basemen? They’re gonna need some more then. Probably not possible to bring in Bryant, but maybe look at signing Kyle Seager and Eduardo Escobar, and then 2 of 3 from Asdrubal, Harrison, and Villar just to be safe.
Why wouldn’t they give Drew Ellis another shot at 3B?
Lol
So you’re ready to blow him off already?
It’s time to non tender Walker so he can sign with an NPB/KBO team.
We’ll give ya Luke Voit for lottery tickets!
Ok we see that you are trying to mock MetsFan22 but the issue is you made a logical trade idea you need to say something like bout and Frazier for marte
Wow autocorrect Voit
I’m an almost sane metsfan22 😀
Then the mocking name is pointless if you’re not going to be their level of absurd
As a Mariners fan living part time in Arizona I’d love to see the Diamondbacks sign Kyle Seager. Just because…
I look for the Dbacks to go after 2-3 FA relievers for the backend of their bullpen. One LHP and 2 RHP. Possibilities are Brad Hand, Hector Neris and Yimi Garcia, or similar. All 3 had 20-30 save opportunities last year.
Only 1 or possibly 2 from last year’s disastrous bullpen group of Waiver Claims will have a legitimate shot at competing in Spring Training for a spot on the ‘22 reliever corps Wendelken and Noe Ramirez. The rest of those waiver claims can be flushed. Miguel Aguilar has probably earned another look at a LH reliever spot. In addition, a couple of young starters will be given a shot at the majors this year in the bullpen—Widener, Frias, Mejia. The bullpen will look very different from last year’s disaster.
Hazen will Hazen and our closer will be Daniel Hudson. He’s made it clear he would like to be back in AZ. And he fits Hazens closer mold.
Burdi and Uceta will compete for bullpen jobs, along with Arizona Fall League relievers Mitchell Stumpo and Keegan Curtis.
Johan Camargo for Merrill Kelly, who says no?
No! Dbacks don’t need a failed 2b/Utility inf. Ketel Marte will be playing 2b for the foreseeable future, and Merrill Kelly is a very valuable innings eater who would garner a whole lot more than a Camargo on the trade market.
Maybe they can work out a trade for Gio Urshela. I don’t know what the Yankees would want in return
Dbacks already have a SS (sarcastic humor), actually 2 SS. Would Yankees like Nick Ahmed for their SS?
Scottaz: Assuming you follow the D-backs closely, how do you feel about Carson Kelly? I’ve always liked him as an under-the-radar C. Also, do you think that would be a player they would be willing to part with for a [reasonable] return?
Plus, Ahmed would suit the Yankees needs well despite his anemic offense. They have the offensive power, they really need a competent, true SS. They can fill offense from other positions, ie, CF & 1B.
Yankee Clipper: This article is right on the money where it says Marte, Gallen and Carson Kelly are the 3 young veterans they want to build around, but “never say never” to trading any player. My feeling is that it would take a “blow me away” trade offer, rather than a “reasonable” trade offer to get any of the three. However, of the three, Carson Kelly is the least untouchable. So, the trade scenario I could see would be Carson Kelly for a young, controllable closer/closer-in-waiting, or for a young, back of the bullpen arm plus a near-MLB ready 3b. In other words, the trade must strengthen both teams, not a dump that hurts the Dbacks.
Yankee Clipper: on your other comment about Ahmed to the Yankees. Ahmed has slipped a little from being an elite defensive SS but has improved offensively a little bit as well. For the Dbacks, his contract is way too expensive, especially because Geraldo Perdomo looks ready to take over as the next Dbacks SS. So, this is the one position where the Dbacks can trade a veteran and perhaps strengthen the team elsewhere. The problem is that any team paying close attention to the new analytics, views Ahmed as a pretty big negative. So, he’s probably a salary dump candidate the Dbacks would have to pay part (1/2) of his salary for the two years of control on his contract. I think Ahmed is the most likely Dback to be traded, if they can find a willing trade partner. The Yankees might be that, if their true targets for huge salaries are not at SS.
Dbacks shouldn’t be parting with young assets that hold any future value just to put live bodies on the field next season. This clearly should be a tear down with hopes of maybe competing in 24 or 25. Reunion with old friend Brandon Drury? Matt Duffy? Ken Kendrick is 78.
Well reds are giving away players
Trade for Suarez or Moose to play 3b to give reds payroll relief. If they play well you could always flip them later?
If that’s too much money see if Padres are willing to move Profar and he gives you some 3b/flex options.
How about Baty and a prospect from the Mets for Marte and Caleb Smith, gives the Mets a CF and a lefty SP/RP
I think the Mets would need a GOOD prospect or mlb ready player to make that deal because marte needs like MLB ready players to be fair
I see. Mets fans are as dysfunctional as Mets ownership and management. Ketel Marte isn’t available, and he certainly isn’t available for the bag of peanuts and so-called prospect proposed by jvent.
Nobody wants to be the Mets GM and nobody wants to be President of that dysfunctional organization because of the kind of ludicrously absurd kind of thinking that’s displayed in this trade proposal.
Ken, Like so many fans who know absolutely nothing about any team west of the Allegheny River, you think the Dbacks’ leadership is still the group that made the Shelby Miller trade. If you didn’t rely on Ancient History, you would know that the Dbacks leadership is highly respected in the industry. On the other hand, the Mets leadership is making headlines repeatedly today proving they are incompetent and grossly unrealistic, and are fittingly the laughing stock of MLB. Good luck finding a competent GM and President willing to take those jobs for that organization!
Kyle Seager would probably rake in Arizona. Beyond that the D’backs could go the cheap route and invite Maikel Franco to spring training and hope for the best
Major league minimum to sign Ronald Torreyes. Knebel and Hudson for bullpen. Should win 62-63 in 2022.
Sad the way the Dbacks shop from the discard barrel. Has Beens and Never Weres are their players of choice. End result: Empty seats, empty parking lot and Ken Kendrick getting richer off TV profit sharing. Sad, because Phoenix deserves better.