The Diamondbacks seem to have picked a lane. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that they are informing rival clubs that they plan to trade at least some of their veteran players, though the extent of their sell-off is still to be determined. Many of their players are impending free agents and qualifying offer candidates, so the trade returns would have to notably eclipse QO compensation for the Diamondbacks to pull the trigger on trading one of those players. It also seems they don’t want to totally wave the white flag on 2025, so they won’t just sell any theoretical candidate.
It’s a tricky spot for the club to be in. As noted by Rosenthal, the club may not want to punt the 2025 season. Back in 2023, they snuck into the playoffs with 84 wins and ended up going all the way to the World Series, eventually falling to the Rangers. But their 2025 club has been decimated by injuries, particularly on the pitching side. Corbin Burnes, Jordan Montgomery, A.J. Puk, Justin Martínez and others have required season-ending surgeries. Notable position players like Gabriel Moreno and Pavin Smith are also on the shelf.
Despite all of that, the club has hung around the playoff race. General manager Mike Hazen has spoken about how he would like to act as a buyer at the deadline but needed the club to justify that position by winning games. They came out of the All-Star break with a sweep of the Cardinals, but then got swept by the Astros. They are currently 50-53 and 5.5 games out of a playoff spot. They’re not totally buried but it seems the club has decided this may not be their year and some decisions should be made to help the club focus on the future.
Moving more clearly into seller position will have its advantages. With the expanded postseason, many clubs are still in contention, which makes it a seller’s market. By making some attractive players available, the front office could do a lot to help the Diamondbacks in the future.
Young pitching seems likely to be a focus. The rotation is set to lose Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly to free agency. Burnes will still be recovering from his surgery for a lot of next year. The 2026 rotation projects to include Eduardo Rodríguez, Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson. Rodríguez and Pfaadt are struggling this year. Nelson is doing well but has only really had a rotation spot for about six weeks, having been in long relief until injuries opened a spot for him. The Snakes could improve their 2026 rotation outlook by getting some younger pitchers now.
Eugenio Suárez seems the most likely player to be traded. He’s an impending free agent and his stock is tremendously high right now, since he’s been on a heater for more than a year. Dating back to July 7th of last year, he has 60 home runs, a .277/.334/.607 batting line and 154 wRC+. He has a $15MM salary this year, which will leave about $5MM left to be paid out at the deadline.
He will be highly attractive. He’s already been connected to teams like the Cubs, Yankees, Mariners and Reds. Rosenthal mentions those teams and adds the Mets to the pile. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix says 12 teams in total have contacted the Snakes about Suárez. Bob Nightengale of USA Today says the Mariners and Yankees are the most aggressive of the suitors, though the market appears to be very crowded.
The Mets have a cluster of young infielders which includes Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Luisangel Acuña and Ronny Mauricio. Baty is the only one in that group having a good season, though he’s also been playing some second base, so it’s possible he could co-exist with Suárez. The Mets are also reportedly willing to trade from that infield depth, so it’s possible Suárez could be brought in as part of a bigger shake-up.
With that hot market, it’s easy to the appeal for the Snakes in cashing in. It’s also possible that it could hurt their 2025 chances less than trading some of their other veterans. Jordan Lawlar is one of the top prospects in baseball but has been blocked from getting a big league audition. He can’t be expected to come up and produce at the same level as Suárez but it’s possible he could run with the opportunity and make up some of what is lost. He is currently out with a hamstring strain but could be back in the coming weeks. Even if he doesn’t come up and immediately succeed, there would be value in the Diamondbacks giving him an extended audition before they have to make key offseason decisions about their lineup.
There are some parallels on the other side of the infield. Josh Naylor is an impending free agent and consistently above-average hitter. Dating back to the start of 2022, he has a .272/.336/.462 line and 121 wRC+. He is making $10.9MM this year, which will leave a little under $4MM to be paid out as the deadline nears. Smith has been putting up big numbers the past two years and could take over for Naylor at first, though he’s currently sidelined by an oblique strain. Naylor has been connected to the Mariners though they are reportedly more interested in Suárez.
As mentioned, Gallen and Kelly are also impending free agents. Rosenthal has previously suggested the club is unlikely to trade both as they will still need innings to get through the season. That’s a bit of an odd hedge. They could always grab cast-offs from other clubs, Erick Fedde types, to finish the year. But perhaps the Snakes are trying to walk a fine line where they sell some pieces without totally punting their 2025 campaign. Trading one of this duo but keeping the other could be a compromise along those lines.
Kelly is having the better season but Gallen has higher theoretical upside. Jesse Rogers of ESPN recently reported that teams were a bit more interested in Gallen, despite the recent results. Gallen, 29, has a 5.58 ERA and 22.2% strikeout rate this year. Some of that might be luck, as he his 65.1% strand rate and 16.7% home run to fly ball rate are both to the unfortunate side. His 4.16 SIERA suggests he might not be too far from his past self, though his hard hit rate and barrel rate are also quite high this year, so it might not be all luck.
From 2022 to 2024, Gallen tossed 542 innings with a 3.20 ERA, 26% strikeout rate, 6% walk rate, 44.4% ground ball rate, 3.20 FIP and 3.60 SIERA. FanGraphs credited him with 12.1 wins above replacement in that time, seventh among all pitchers. It’s understandable that teams looking for rotation upgrades, particularly for the postseason, would be intrigued by acquiring Gallen and getting him back to that level. He is making $13.50MM this year, which will leave about $4.5MM left to be paid out at the deadline. He’s been connected to the Blue Jays but should be of interest to several other pitching-needy teams.
Kelly, 36, doesn’t have the same ace ceiling but has been more steady. He is in his seventh season with the Snakes and has a 3.76 ERA. That figure was 3.37 in 2022 and 3.29 in 2023. Last year, injuries limited him to 13 starts and his ERA jumped a bit to 4.03. This year, it’s back down to 3.32. He has a 24.2% strikeout rate, 7.6% walk rate and 44.2% ground ball rate. He’s making $7MM this year, so he’ll have just $2.33MM left to be paid out at the deadline.
Any of those four players is a plausible candidate to receive and perhaps a reject a qualifying offer candidate at season’s end. The exact value of the QO hasn’t been set, but is likely to be somewhere around $22MM. The 2024-25 qualifying offer was $21.05MM and it usually goes up annually.
The Diamondbacks are a revenue-sharing recipient, which affects their compensation for a player rejecting a QO and signing elsewhere. If the player ultimately signs for $50MM or more, the Snakes would get an extra draft pick just after the first round. Less than $50MM and the pick would come just ahead of the third round.
While teams value draft picks, drafted players usually take a few years to reach the majors. The Diamondbacks are presumably hoping to contend again in the near future, while they still have core players like Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte putting up great numbers. By trading these impending free agents, they could garner returns of prospects who are closer to the majors than anyone they would draft next summer. That should move the needle to the trade side, though it also seems like they’re leery of totally bottoming out their chances of hanging in the race this year.
In addition to those names, the Diamondbacks could also sell other impending free agents, such as Randal Grichuk and Shelby Miller. Those players wouldn’t bring back huge returns, though they’re also less essential to the club contending down the stretch in 2025. The Snakes have also reportedly gotten some interest in Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who is signed through 2027. They have also reportedly listened to offers on controllable outfielders like Alek Thomas and Jake McCarthy. Time will tell how aggressively they smash the sell button but it seems like the Diamondbacks will be one of the most interesting clubs to watch over the next week.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
No knock on Suárez, but look at his home/away splits, he hits twice as many home runs at home than on the road. All teams buying need to factor in “home field advantage “ when buying from Arizona and Colorado!!!
What actually happens is when guys with big home-road splits leave offense friendly home stadiums, their splits disappear, or at least are greatly ameliorated, in their new homes, with their overall park adjusted numbers staying more or less constant. Happens almost literally every time.
Or they could just figure out how many hrs he’d hit in their stadium.
Suárez is definitely the prize of the deadline. What team will get the most desperate to get him and what will the cost be? I’m betting on the Yankees.
Just heard on AZ Sports radio that a total of 12 teams has inquired or kick the tires in the last 36 hours. Said the to four teams that have made up front offers and are willing to negoiate a better deal are the Mariners, Yankees, Reds, and Brewers. Also, they said is a deal close to being made in the next 24 hours you can’t say yes or no.
As good as he is, I’m leaning towards not wanting him. The Yankees are going to need some good defense to somehow in some slight way make up for just how bad Volpe has been this year. I was reading an article that had a scout saying McMahon would be a better fit for the Yankees and I’m starting to agree with him. That said, I’d be happy if they do get Suarez.
Yankees should be sellers too. They’re not a winning team. Always choke in big spots. I know this will never happen but it should.
Duly noted. See ya in the playoffs!
Trade the fans too
I agree. McMahon isn’t anywhere near as good a hitter as Suarez but the Yanks have other bombers. Mac is also lefty and a perfect fit for the Stadium. He’s a far better fielder, AND can play 2B well too. 1B as well, for the cherry on top. And of course, would be much cheaper in terms of prospects.
He hits plenty of homeruns at Wrigley.
Could be Jeff Blauser II. Blauser….the ultimate Cub killer.
When he was with the Braves, he killed the Cubs.
When he was with the Cubs, he killed them even more.
Haven’t heard that name in 25 years. Hahaha
The injury bug bit the Diamondbacks hard and now here we are.
I’d like to see the Sox swing a deal for Naylor and Kelly but not sure if they have the pieces for that.
RSox
Maybe Luis Perales and Fajardo?
Perales is out all year. No one’s gonna trade for him (at least not at full price).
Perales is ready to start pitching again. He should see some action in August. I don’t think Boston wants to trade Perales or Tolle unless they are getting a quality #2 starting pitcher back with control. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Red Sox trade a Brandon Clarke, Juan Valero or even a Kutter Crawford as part of a package for a starting pitcher. Other options are David Sandlin or Connolly Early. Boston also just drafted (3) college pitchers with their first 4 picks so perhaps they could trade one of them too.
If they don’t have the pieces to get 2 rentals they better fire their gm and rebuild.
I think Romy is fine at first. I would love to get Kelly though
Heard at one point that there was talk of a Naylor, Kelly or Gallen going to Red Sox for Duran and a couple AA pitchers. Said the D’Backs had been checking out Boston AA team.
They have the pieces but whether they are willing to deal is the question..based on bres saying no big moves im thinking no
Seems like the Snakes should cash in on their outgoing position players, Geno, Naylor, Grichuk all should be wearing new uniforms by the end of next week.
That’s an extremely bold idea right there but I agree with you
Would love a Josh Naylor. That guy is a both a good ballplayer and fun guy to be around with.
Diamondbacks looking at team’s prospects right now like a pothead looks at an Applebee’s menu
Everything looks appetizing but which one will they pick lol
It’s gonna basically be another MLB Draft for them but with prospects being closer to reaching the majors.
potheads?
What is this, 1972?
Couldn’t tell you I wasn’t alive during that time
No, the stoners definitely prefer the Chicken & Waffle House.
ISOB,
Waffle Houses are liquor induced gladiator establishments
(I know from experience)
🙂
I know Snoop Dogg likes them, and he also likes smokin the skunk too (so I’ve been told).
Been there, done that. Can’t miss with their fish and chips.
Suarez, Gallen, Kelly, Naylor, Beeks, and Gurriel should all be on the way out. Get as much as possible to contend in 2027.
I think they should try to extend or re-sign Gallen or Kelly. Gallen sucked so much this year that the cost should be reasonable, worth a gamble. Not sure that a team will offer much for Gurriel since it is not a pure rental.
Not sure Gallen will sign a long term deal after his down year. But the D-Backs need rotation help next year pretty badly. Maybe like 3/75 with player options after years 1 and 2 would bring him back.
Too many warning signs for Gallen imo. Local reporting is they could trade Kelly and then resign him this offseason. He’s older 36 so he won’t be nearly as expensive and because he’s local the belief is he would prefer Arizona to other places.
I say from what I hear that Gallen will probably sign with a team back East.
The chances are good on resigning Kelly; he has set down some roots in AZ. more like 70-30 shot.
Naylor is a 50-50 shot
Suarez is said to be in the neighborhood of a contract like Houston gave Walker 3 year 60 to 75 million, said the D’Backs will have to really think on that one, even though Suarez says he loves AZ,
Marte will be 33 then and likely declining, and their farm is pretty weak atm, especially on pitching side.. Losing their best two SP’s, their best hitter, another good hitter, and more from a 500 team doesn’t suggest they’ll be back in 2027, not in that ridiculously good division anyhow.
My bet is that the Yankees will win the Suarez sweepstakes. If they don’t there’s a good chance they miss the postseason because Boston, Tampa, Seattle, and Texas will remain in this wildcard race.
How is Baty, a guy with middling power and a .294 OBP, having a “good” year?
How does he have middling power? He is playing a very good defense and has been a very good hitter since he came up. He is having a more favorable year than Jackson Merrill. The average starter in MLB has a 2 WAR for the season. Baty already is at 1.8 WAR in a limited role.
@Mets Era Thumping Soto Jackson Merrill is 3x the player that Baty is right now. Lets not be delusional here. I like Baty, he should be our everyday 3rdbasemen but I’m not foolish
Why is that? Merrill’s 1.4 WAR and 7 home runs would suggest otherwise in around the same amount of ABs. You do realize players progress and regress in their careers. Right now Baty is performing better.
@Mets Era Thumping Soto Merrill is 3 years younger then Baty. WAR is a counting stat, and they play different positions. He is easily better then Baty
It’s not the point. The poster is saying Baty isn’t having a good year. Hes having a better year than Merrill who most think is an elite talent.
Lol Merrill was an All-Star at an age when Baty was still in the minors. Odd comparison.
Was is your keyword there.
Yes, past tense as in, “Baty has never been as good as Merrill.”
Except this year and when he was a higher rated prospect.
He’s been pretty good, after a horrible start to the season. He’s definitely trending in the right direction but he still has peaks and valleys.
I want the reds to improve but I don’t want them to get into a bidding war for a rental
People calling to check in and those who are serious are two different animals.
You aren’t wrong I’m just saying it’s not what I want
You know already the Reds management aren’t competent enough to get into a bidding war, let alone win one.
So you don’t have to worry.
I’ll still be surprised if they are buyers rather than sellers but the time it is done.
Somebody DO SOMETHING. I am so ready for the first domino to fall. I have never understood why teams always want to wait until the last day. The games between now and the deadline could be very meaningful to the final standings. For that matter, the games for the last month will be meaningful and it’s not like the Yankees have not known they have a hole at third for that long. Among many other teams.
Yeah why see your team in need and see if they can luck into a few more wins before you get them some help.
Exactly. Not only that, but it gives the new guy an extra bit of time to gel with the team before the postseason. A week might not seem like much, but just look at how far behind s guy is when he misses the first week or two of Spring Training.
Both parties set a deadline for a final decision. Who blinks first?
Dbacks haven’t been sure they are willing to sell until the last couple of days.
A final decision wasn’t made public, but they had to have a tentative plan for BOTH ways and have probably been in contact with teams in case they were buying or selling. They would be behind everyone else if they didn’t.
Tentative plan is much different then for sure sellers. 12 teams have made calls on Suarez. Takes time to build and negotiate trades with that many potential suitors.
Some teams have been clear sellers
Why did the Diamondbacks just rollover for the Astros this week?? The Astros are such a compromised team with four of their top hitters out. And the Dbacks just surrendered.
Idk about “rolled over,” but the Dbacks definitely didn’t look like their normal selves. They scored only 7 runs over the 3 game series compared to the Astros 13. All 3 games were decided by 3 runs or less. They weren’t blowouts, but 2 of them the bullpen gave up, which has been the recurrent theme for the Dbacks all season.
Puk and Martínez have been out for months now. I think they’ve had something like 30+ different pitchers this season before the AS break. They have tried to find other bullpen arms through everything except trade, which might be the biggest concern. Idk why you would just sit on your hands and hope that Backhus, Thompson, Ginkel, or Woodford could get the job done. Shelby had been down for weeks now too.
And Astros have one of the best bullpens in the game. If they have a lead going into the 7th, good luck scoring against them.
Ginkel was a late inning leverage arm during their World Series run, he really broke out that year. Not sure what happened there. Does he still have that potential or is he broken??? Thanks for the rundown on that last series.
they have no choice, sellers wait until the last minute. Injuries to other teams players could help the sellers so they hold out until the last day
Well they were connected to Helseley all off season. They could have traded for him before the Cards had their pre AS breakout. In season, they could have tried for Bednar or Dennis Santana. They could have signed David Robertson before the Phillies did.
I’m just saying if you need a reliever bednar could’ve been had this whole time
Its not the contending team that’s the hold up. They Yankees know what they want, and what they want to trade for it. The selling teams are waiting for a better offer, and by waiting, are likely to get one. (On other words, they shop the Yankees offer around.)
Naylor to Seattle
Not saying I don’t believe Rosenthal but I’ll wait and see how the chips fall if they do.
Thats kinda saying you don’t believe him lol..
You are correct.
Well, makes some sense. They have as many if not more sellable assets as any other team. I guess we’ll see over the next week what happens.
I think the DBacks need pitching of course and then a couple position players. A right handed hitting outfielder makes sense as well as a right handed hitting 1b. Perhaps a guy who could play both outfield and 1b but not sure who that would be. They should trade their 7 soon to be free agents in Gallen, Kelly, Grichuk, Naylor, Suarez, Miller and Beeks. They might want to trade Gurriel but why would another team want him? They should trade either McCarthy or Thomas they dont need both. A trade with the Mets could make some sense. Vientos going to Arizona i like that. Mets could use Thomas perhaps. I think there is a deal to be made there.
Mets could use Kelly. I don’t see the Mets trading Vientos for a rental. I’m not saying they shouldn’t, I’m just saying they probably won’t.
Phillies need to ask about K Marte and Miller. Phillies have young pitching to offer. Stott, Rojas Abel,Cabrera……..
Marte just isn’t available. The Phillies could use Suarez but would have to give Bohm up in the process. Alek Thomas makes sense for the Phillies. And yeah a pen arm makes sense for sure.
The Phillies would not think twice about sending Bohm out.
paper straw
The Dbacks would not think twice about NOT taking Bohm back in a trade.
Today I learned Eduardo Rodriguez is still pitching. Guy has to be pushing 60 by now
He’s 32. He only pitches like he’s 60.
I think with all the pitching injuries and the tough National league this year, selling is the right choice
Yankees thankfully from what I’m reading the past 24hrs are not excited about Suarez due to the fact his home/road splits are telling, he strikes out way too much and the biggest concern is his defense is below league average so I honestly do not think they will be in the bidding unless it comes down and makes sense. I think they are in on every player available and have scouts who have identified players to help the defense, pitching, and lineup. The lineup cannot afford another strikeout prone bat that can’t make contact against good pitching.
So saying that I’ve read the padres and Yankees have been taking and Cease and Cronenworth to the Yankees for a catcher like Escarra and a few fringe prospects. Cronenworth might be a possible 3rd base option. He had the a and has played SS and 2nd. Intriguing thought.
How about Suarez and Kelly to NYY for Spencer Jones and Schlittler. Sounds like a fair deal to me, especially for two potential free agents.
Jones is hitting so well i doubt they give him up. And the DBacks really don’t need another lefty hitting outfielder anyways. Schlittler and either Hess or Cunnigham that makes sense.
If they trade Jones it will be for someone who isn’t a rental. Yankees usually don’t move their blue chippers so unless they think Jones is overrated.
The Yankees are already short on starting pitching. No way Shlittler is part of a trade. Especially for a rental.
The Yankees have Cole and Schmitt coming back in 2026. They are short in pitching for the short term not as much long term
Cole may be back early in the season but he’s coming back from a second tj and the rehab from a second one tends to be longer. Schmidt isn’t likely to be a factor next year. Also look at Alcantera this year trying to get back to his former level of pitching coming back from tj.
They have Gil too. I could see Gil being a guy the DBacks would want.
Former ROY. I bet they would. The only player I can think of from the MLB roster they may trade in a deal for a rental would be Escarra and maybe Rice. And I don’t think that would happen.
Schlittler is barely on the roster he was just promoted recently. The Yankees have pitching to trade and as always they can spend if needed.
Promoted recently because they are so thin on pitching right now. Pitching coach Matt Blake had said they had no plans to call him up earlier even though his minor league numbers were so good. Schmidt going down changed that. The Yankees have pitchers to trade but not at the MLB level. You would have to look at pitchers like Cunningham or Hess. I don’t even think they would trade Lagrange for a rental.
Well let’s be clear if the Yankees get Kelly and Suarez those are perhaps the 2 best rentals available in the entire league. It would cost a lot. If the Yankees dont want to pay up then perhaps they dont need both of those guys. Even Gallen instead of Kelly would cost a lot less.
How about throw in Corbin Carroll that’s how insane that is for a rental that plays poor defense and strikes out allot.
Last 2 teams that traded away Suarez both want him back. Detroit on line 3?
Don’t want to get too narrowed down in what the Dbacks want/need, because what they might want is a couple of Top 100 Prospects to dangle to a team like Cleveland or The Athletics to get an establish closer who is Not on an expiring contract. An established closer is their No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 need! Even when A.J. Put and Justin Martinez get healthy.
Teams that sell at the deadline dont go out and get established closers. It just doesnt work like that.
KoC
I didn’t say anything about getting a Closer at this year’s trade deadline. My point, which you of course missed, was that the Dbacks may not be thinking exclusively of restocking their farm system, but may instead be thinking of a two step process. The second step could occur anytime before the start of the 2026 season.
Its late July and the Diamondbacks are just announcing they are sellers. Thats whats relevant now not some closer they get in the offseason. And Puk and Martinez is a good 1 2 combo for the late innings. What the Diamondbacks really need is starting pitching.
For what it would cost the yankees to get Suarez, a starter and reliever from the snakes id rather see them make a trade in the division with Baltimore for say mount castle, Dean kremer and giovany Soto. Kremer pitches well in big games and against the yanks. Mount castle knows the al east and can play 3B. And Soto hopefully can turn it around as the yankees always seem to do well with reclamation bullpen pieces