The Diamondbacks dropped this afternoon’s series finale against the White Sox, falling to 41-39. They’re 3.5 games back with four teams in front of them in a crowded NL Wild Card picture. As Darragh McDonald and I discussed on this week’s MLBTR podcast, Arizona is one of the most interesting bubble teams five weeks from the deadline. They’re still in the race but have been battered by injuries, leaving them shorthanded as they enter a pivotal stretch of the season.
General manager Mike Hazen spoke with ESPN’s Jesse Rogers on Tuesday and said he has started to receive calls from opposing clubs gauging their interest in selling. Hazen jokingly likened the rival executives to sharks circling but noted that the D-Backs aren’t interested in dealing away talent at this point.
“We have good players, so I don’t see why we shouldn’t be able to play good baseball and stay in this and then get those guys back and maybe be able to add on at the deadline,” the GM said, referencing the recent injured list placements to right fielder Corbin Carroll and catcher Gabriel Moreno. Arizona has also recently lost Corbin Burnes, Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk, but none of them will be back this season. Hazen acknowledged there may eventually be “a critical mass of injuries” that forces them to reconsider but added he “still (thinks they) have every opportunity to be competitive.”
It’s what should be expected from a bubble team’s GM this far out. It’d be far more surprising if the D-Backs were already open for business. They’ll know more in a month about their place in the standings and on the statuses of Carroll (wrist fracture) and Moreno (broken index finger). Hazen conceded, however, that playoff spots will be tough to come by in a National League that has ten teams that are above .500 at the moment.
If they’re still within a few games of a playoff spot in July, they’ll be motivated to buy. The D-Backs narrowly missed the postseason a year ago. Ownership subsequently approved a franchise-record payroll to support an excellent lineup. Their pitching plans have largely been decimated by injuries and/or underperformance from their free agent acquisitions. That has kept them around .500 despite an offense that trails only the Dodgers and Cubs in runs — one year after they led MLB in scoring.
The ideal outcome is that the team plays well enough that the front office can add to the pitching staff, especially in the bullpen. If things go in the opposite direction over the next month, they’d have no shortage of veteran players to shop. Josh Naylor, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eugenio Suárez, Shelby Miller and Jalen Beeks are all impending free agents. Gallen seems unlikely to re-sign, and it’s tough to see the Diamondbacks retaining both Naylor and Suárez while again blocking Jordan Lawlar’s path to infield at-bats. The D-Backs could consider a qualifying offer for any of the first four players, though it’s unlikely they’d QO all four since there’d be an argument for each of them to accept.
Naylor and Suárez have been middle-of-the-order run producers and would be among the top rental bats if the D-Backs made them available. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale wrote this morning that the Yankees have shown some early interest in Suárez with a likely infield need. Acquiring a third baseman would free them to move Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to second base and move DJ LeMahieu to a utility role. Suárez is currently day-to-day after being hit by a pitch on Monday. He sat out the final two games of the Chicago series.
Gallen has had a poor season but has the pedigree to attract attention. The 36-year-old Kelly is churning out another low-3.00s ERA season while striking out a quarter of opponents. Miller, who is playing for barely more than the league minimum after signing an offseason minor league contract, would be a top bullpen target. He’s carrying a sub-2.00 ERA with a 27% strikeout rate while pitching his way into the ninth inning. Beeks has pitched well in a setup capacity and would be a target for teams seeking left-handed relief.
I think its fair that the Diamondbacka don’t want to consider selling yet but with all their injuries you gotta think thats what they end up doing. And they have those 6 players the article mentions as good trade candidates. They can trade those 6 and reload with a better shot in 2026 and in the future.
They are a team where if they buy at the deadline they should be able to make the playoffs, but they have so many impending free agents that it would be a crime not to capitalize on the opportunity
Name a single borderline call team that traded 6 impending free agents! In fact, name any team that traded 6 veterans ever at the trade deadline. So, I think it’s preposterous to say the Dbacks will trade all 6 impending free agents.
Realistically, they can’t trade any of the remaining 5 starting pitchers. I think they resign Kelly to an extension and submit a QO to Gallen.
Because bullpens are so volatile, I could see them selling high on Miller, but suspect they would turn around and obtain bullpen arm(s) at the deadline.
I could also see them trading Suarez or Naylor, but not both, to open a spot for Lawler. But I think it’s more likely the Dbacks trade only minor league prospects to obtain bullpen arm(s).
Jays traded 8 roster players last year.
Dbacks are having an unlucky year and it probably doesn’t make sense to lose assets for nothing in a year things haven’t gone their way and everything would need to start going right, they have no margin for error at all.
If they prioritized near mlb ready talent and got healthy, they could drastically improve their chances the next few years
Around 7/30/2000, Baltimore traded Mike Bordick, Will Clark, Charles Johnson and Harold Baines on expiring deals, and BJ Surhoff and Mike Timlin who were under contract until 2002.. So it has been done.
Why not sell if you are the Diamondbacks? Lots of teams have no excuse the Diamondbacks have a good one they got crushed by injuries. Trade away the soon to be free agents for big leaguers or guys ready to play very soon and they can easily bounce back to being a perennial contender. They should have loads of money to spend this offseason with those free agents plus Montgomerys money coming off the books.
Their issue is trading them right now would be low value. Gallen has been awful unfortunately, Kelly pretty good, geno hit by pitch, Naylor good but not getting a lot back, Gurriel nothing back, etc. I’m a dbacks fan and I say wait until the last two days until the dead line. If they 2 games out of the wildcard stay in. If not sell. If they offer the QO and is declined they get picks anyway.
Sure I think they wait until the last second. Kelly very valuable. Suarez someone would want. Miller and Beeks 2 of the better relievers available. Someone will bet on Gallen bounces back. Naylor has some value of not a lot.
Gallen
Miller
Naylor
For
Nolan Gorman
Andre Pallante
Gorman is from Arizona and he has a ton of potential he really does. Pallante is a back end starter. Thats 2 valuable long term pieces for the Diamondbacks. And they can trade the other 3 guys for even more long term help.
I agree that trading all those players is very unlikely if the Dbacks stay around where there are now – 3 games out of the last NL Wild Card spot – or improve on it.
Question raised in the article is what they do “If things go in the opposite direction over the next month”, meaning the Dbacks are more like 7+ games out of the last Wild Card spot near the trade deadline.
Yeah we still have a month to go and that will determine a lot about who is going for it and who isn’t. It just seems with all the injuries the Diamondbacks will fall out of contention but it hasn’t happened yet.