The D-backs and Nationals agreed to a last-minute trade sending right-handed reliever Dylan Floro to Arizona, reports John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. Arizona is sending corner infielder Andres Chaparro back to the Nats, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic.
Floro, 33, is on a one-year, $2.25MM contract and will be a free agent at season’s end. He’s pitched to a pristine 2.06 earned run average this season, albeit with a rather pedestrian 19.6% strikeout rate and tepid 90.3 mph average fastball. That said, Floro has walked only 6.4% of his opponents and kept the ball on the ground at a strong 47.6% clip. He’s not going to continue to see this level of fortune on his fly-balls — only 2.2% of them have become homers, compared to the 7% mark he carried into the season — but it’s been a nice rebound effort for a veteran reliever who struggled to keep his ERA under 5.00 last year between the Marlins and Twins.
Since cementing himself as a viable big league reliever in 2018, Floro touts a 3.11 ERA in 361 1/3 innings. He’s had a below-average strikeout rate nearly every season along the way, but never egregiously so, and has offset that with strong command. Floro also regularly avoids loud contact, evidenced by a career 87.4 mph average exit velocity, 3.7% barrel rate and 38.4% hard-hit rate.
Floro adds an affordable middle-relief arm to a D-backs bullpen that already picked up one of the most impactful relievers moved at this year’s deadline: lefty A.J. Puk. That pair of newcomers will join late-inning arms Ryan Thompson and Kevin Ginkel to help bridge the gap between an injury-marred rotation — currently missing both Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez — and closer Paul Sewald.
Chaparro, 25, is a longtime Yankees farmhand who became a minor league free agent this past offseason and signed a minors contract with the D-backs. He’s had a big first year in an overwhelmingly hitter-friendly Triple-A Reno setting, batting .332/.403/.563 with 19 homers — good for a 137 wRC+. Listed at 5’11” and 200 pounds, Chaparro has well below-average speed and grades out poorly as a defender, but he’s posted above-average offensive numbers throughout his minor league tenure. He could eventually emerge as a right-handed corner bench bat/DH option for a rebuilding Nationals club.
Hazen always under the radar moves. Ryan Thompson no one even blinked at
I was hoping Carlson would go to the Nats for Floro, but wondering who the D’Backs are sending back. At least Floro doesn’t have to go far.
He might pitch against the nats tonight.
I am surprised that Finnegan wasn’t traded, as well.
Please tell me Castro has been DFA. He’s been complete rubbish.
Just looked at the roster and it 100% is him. The only other option is Cecconi
Definitely not Cecconi; a 40-man spot needs to be cleared
Miguel Castro…. you have been voted off the island
For real? Please, please, please…..
A joyous day! A joyous day! Relief Pitcher, volatility be thy name, and all that…. But the BP looks solid top-to-bottom.
I’m really hoping that Torey won’t have to ride the late-inning arms too hard with this depth, but I’m pretty sure the team is rolling with a 4-man rotation for a short while. That 9th RP should definitely help for a bit.
I’m still not sold on Sewald, especially as a closer. I believe his stuff is too weak to hold that rank. If I had a cardiologist, I’d be calling him every time Sewald entered a game.
Hate to say I agree on Sewald; he’s not getting swings and misses at a rate consistent with recent seasons, and his peripheral stats are a bit concerning.
Fortunately, there should be enough quality back there to go Closer by committee if things get too bad.
Seeing reports that it was for Andres Chaparro straight up? If so…. That’s a steal! Chaparro was an MiLB FA
Yes, now Rizzo is dumpster diving in the minor leagues. This guy hits .332 with 19 HRs and 75 RBI this year, with 79 homers and high OPS since 2021, but no one wants to even give him a cup of coffee. So the question is why. He’s thick and slow and supposedly can’t field. The Nats are looking at a big audition next spring for 3B. They traded for 3 this week, have a supposed stud Brady House on the farm, and I guess Carter Kieboom still counts as a candidate. Life hasn’t been the same since Anthony Rendon left. Maybe he shoulda stayed — for both their sakes.
I am guessing that after the Carlson deal didn’t happen, Rizzo pivoted to trading for a lottery pick. Given how late it was becoming.