Blue Jays Interested In Zac Gallen
After operating with a short-handed rotation for much of the season, starting pitching is a natural need for the Blue Jays as the deadline approaches. The Jays “are looking for a front-line pitcher,” USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes, and Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen is one of the hurlers on Toronto’s target list.
The D’Backs took a 46-50 record into today’s game with the Angels, and they sit 6.5 games back of the final NL wild card spot. A team with such high expectations (and a club-record payroll) might wait until closer to the deadline before finally deciding to sell, but barring a major winning streak after the All-Star break, it certainly looks like Arizona will be moving some talent at the deadline. Nightengale writes that the Diamondbacks are already open to discussing impending free agents, which could make Arizona a sought-after trade partner if such players as Gallen, Eugenio Suarez, Josh Naylor, or Merrill Kelly are available.
Gallen is perhaps the most difficult player of that group to evaluate in terms of trade value, as he is posting the worst season of his seven-year MLB career. The righty has a 5.40 ERA in 115 innings and a slate of unimpressive Statcast metrics, including some of the worst hard-contact rates of any pitcher in the league. Gallen has been prone to hard contact even in his best years, but a worsening walk rate over the last two seasons has contributed to his struggles. A 4.18 SIERA indicates that Gallen should be out-performing his actual ERA, though those are still the numbers of more a mid-rotation arm rather than a front-of-the-rotation type.
The catch is that Gallen has looked like an ace in the past, with three top-nine finishes in NL Cy Young Award voting on his resume. His best finish was a third-place result in 2023, when Gallen had a 3.47 ERA over 210 innings for an Arizona team that made a surprise run to the NL pennant. The 210 frames was a career high for Gallen, and he added another 33 2/3 innings on his arm during the Diamondbacks’ lengthy playoff run. It can’t be overlooked that Gallen hasn’t quite looked the same since that signature season, as his production took a step backwards in 2024 before his sharper downturn this year.
Arizona is surely still going to put a significant asking price on Gallen, hoping that rival teams could view him as a change-of-scenery candidate. The Diamondbacks’ trade efforts will also naturally be helped by the fact that basically every contender could use a starter, plus Gallen is relatively affordable (around $5.625MM remains on his $13.5MM salary). A pitcher with Gallen’s history will draw interest even if his most recent results haven’t been good. From the perspective of trade suitors, however, those 2025 numbers will surely loom large, as clubs will have to gauge how much they’re willing to offer for a rental pitcher who isn’t in top form.
The Blue Jays have leaned hard on Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, and Chris Bassitt as the top three starters in their rotation this season, as Max Scherzer‘s injuries and Bowden Francis‘ struggles left Toronto operating with what felt like a three-man rotation for a big chunk of the first half. Scherzer has since returned to the mound (though is still managing thumb discomfort) and minor league signing Eric Lauer has pitched really well since joining the rotation in May, plus Alek Manoah has started a rehab assignment and is expected to be back at some point late in the second half in his return from UCL surgery.
With this much uncertainty, another solid starter would go a long way towards helping the Jays’ chances of keeping their lead in the AL East, or at least making the postseason bracket. Gallen figures to be one of many names linked to the Blue Jays as GM Ross Atkins evaluates what promises to be a typically busy trade market for pitching.
Diamondbacks Notes: Beeks, Graveman, Gallen, Kelly, Miller
Prior to yesterday’s 6-5 loss to the Angels, the Diamondbacks placed left-hander Jalen Beeks on the 15-day injured list due to lower back inflammation, with a retroactive placement date of July 8. Right-hander Kendall Graveman was activated from the 15-day IL in the corresponding move.
It doesn’t appear as Beeks’ injury is overly serious, as manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro) that the hope is that Beeks will miss just the minimum 15 days, with the retroactive time and the All-Star break factoring into that number. This means Beeks should be able to return in plenty of time before the July 31st trade deadline, which is perhaps noteworthy if the 46-49 Diamondbacks end up being sellers.
Beeks is just a couple of days removed from his 32nd birthday, and he has a 4.39 ERA, 51.8% grounder rate, 22.9% strikeout rate, and 8.9% walk rate over 41 relief innings this season. While the K% and BB% numbers aren’t anything special, Statcast has liked Beeks’ work on the whole, and his ability to induce soft contact and keep the ball on the ground have helped the southpaw deliver some respectable numbers. Beeks’ numbers are somewhat inflated by two nightmarish outings against in the Marlins in late June, which accounted for eight of the 20 earned runs he has allowed all year.
Should Arizona indeed decide to sell, Beeks is a natural trade chip as an impending free agent, and plenty of clubs should have interest in an inexpensive veteran lefty. The D’Backs signed Beeks to a one-year, $1.25MM deal just before Opening Day, after Beeks was released at the end of spring camp from a previous minor league deal with the Astros.
An IL stint this relatively close to the deadline could throw a wrench into Beeks’ trade candidacy, as he has now joined the long list of Diamondbacks pitchers sidelined by injuries. Graveman has been on the IL twice this season, first due to a lumbar strain and then this latest placement due to a hip impingement that cost him a little over a month of action. These two IL stints have limited Graveman to just 10 appearances and 9 1/3 innings this season. Graveman’s ERA is 8.68, though one six-run implosion against the Reds on June 7 is largely responsible for Graveman’s ungainly bottom-line statistics.
The D’Backs have faced such a swath of pitching injuries that it may impact their deadline plans as either buyers or sellers. Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are both impending free agents and oft-cited trade candidates, yet according to the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Diamondbacks “are unlikely” to move both starters at the deadline for the simple reason that the club still needs to fill innings for the remainder of the year. The Snakes have already seen their starter depth depleted by Tommy John surgeries to Corbin Burnes, Jordan Montgomery, and Blake Walston, while Tommy Henry underwent an internal brace procedure in late June. A shoulder strain has also sidelined Cristian Mena until at least the second week of August, as per his timeline on the 60-day IL.
Gallen is in the last few months of his final arbitration-eligible season, while Kelly is in the last year of what has now become a three-year, $24MM contract when Arizona made the easy call to exercise its $7MM club option on the right-hander last November. Kelly has been the significantly better of the two pitchers this season with 2.0 fWAR to Gallen’s 0.1 fWAR, though Gallen is perceived to have the higher upside as a former front-of-the-rotation type. The Diamondbacks figure to receive plenty of offers for both pitchers prior to July 31, so the decision of who stays and who goes will just come down to which offer the Snakes prefer.
In another injury update, Lovullo said Shelby Miller will be visiting Dr. Keith Meister to get a second opinion about the forearm strain that sent Miller to the 15-day IL earlier this week. Lovullo said that surgery may well be an option for the reliever, but Miller is also still considering treatments that would allow him to return to action at some point in 2025.
At the very least, it certainly doesn’t seem like Miller will be able to return before the deadline, which reduces or (more realistically) wipes out his trade value. This injury has cast a pall over what had been an outstanding season for Miller, a minor league signing who has delivered a 1.98 ERA over 36 1/3 bullpen innings for Arizona.
MLBTR Podcast: Firings in Washington, Bad Braves, And An AL East Shake-Up
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- MLBTR’s Top 40 Trade Candidates and the general market conditions (1:10)
- The Nationals firing president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez (3:40)
- Does this shake-up increase the likelihood of a MacKenzie Gore trade? (14:10)
- The Braves losing Spencer Schwellenbach to the injured list as they keep losing games (18:30)
- The Yankees lose another starter, with Clarke Schmidt likely to undergo Tommy John surgery (31:00)
- The Blue Jays surging to the top of the American League East and what they might try to do at the deadline (33:45)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Could the Mariners get Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks without giving up Harry Ford? (46:25)
- The Rangers have a bunch of impending free agents such as Patrick Corbin, Jon Gray, Luke Jackson, Chris Martin and Shawn Armstrong. Should they trade them and could they get anything of note? (49:20)
- What do the Mets do at the deadline? (52:25)
Check out our past episodes!
- Depleted Mets’ Pitching, The Pirates Are Open For Business, And More! – listen here
- The Braves Say They Won’t Sell, Jeimer Candelario DFA’d, And Injured D-Backs – listen here
- Reacting To The Devers Trade And Aaron Civale – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
D-Backs Place Shelby Miller On Injured List With Forearm Strain
The Diamondbacks announced that closer Shelby Miller has gone on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to July 6, with a forearm strain. Arizona recalled rookie righty Juan Morillo to step into the vacated bullpen spot.
It’s the latest hit to the D-Backs bullpen, one that seems likely to have ramifications for the trade market. The Snakes have yet to provide a timetable for Miller’s return, but he’ll be out until at least July 21. A forearm injury certainly threatens to sideline him beyond a minimal stint. There’s not a ton of leeway for him to make it back prior to the July 31 deadline.
Arizona kicks off a pivotal four-game series in San Diego this evening. They sport a 44-46 record and sit 4.5 games back of the National League’s last Wild Card spot. The Padres currently occupy the final playoff position; each of the Giants, Cardinals and Reds sit between San Diego and Arizona. The D-Backs would nearly close the gap with the Friars if they manage a sweep. If they lose the series (or get swept themselves), they could fall seven or eight games back with the All-Star Break looming. The next few days may be crucial for determining their deadline trajectory.
In either case, a long-term injury for Miller would be significant. GM Mike Hazen said last week that the Snakes would prioritize adding to the bullpen if they’re in position to buy. That comes as no surprise, as Miller had been thrust into the ninth inning by season-ending injuries to Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk. While the veteran righty has pitched well, Hazen noted that the whole bullpen would benefit from the addition of a late-game weapon who could free skipper Torey Lovullo to use Miller a little earlier in games. If Miller is out beyond the deadline, that only becomes more pressing.
If the Diamondbacks don’t play their way into buying, a healthy Miller would be one of their clearest trade candidates. He’s an impending free agent playing on a modest salary after signing an offseason minor league deal. He’d fit into the budget for every team and would be an upgrade to any bullpen. The 34-year-old carries a 1.98 earned run average through 36 innings. He has fanned 28% of opposing hitters against a 7.7% walk rate. Miller has recorded 10 saves — he entered the season with three career saves — and another eight holds while getting whiffs on 15% of his offerings.
Miller is one of the top rental relievers who may be available. It’s possible that still comes to pass if he returns within three weeks, but a forearm injury has the potential to significantly reduce his trade value. While he would be eligible to be traded even if he’s on the injured list come July 31, the D-Backs would have a tough time getting much in return if he doesn’t demonstrate he’s healthy.
Diamondbacks Outright Kyle Nelson
The Diamondbacks have sent left-hander Kyle Nelson outright to Triple-A Reno, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week.
Nelson, 28, has the right to elect free agency but probably won’t exercise that right. Players with at least three years of service time have the right to reject outright assignments. However, if they have less than five years of service, they have to forfeit any remaining salary commitments in order to do so. Nelson is in that three-to-five window. He and the Snakes avoided arbitration in the offseason by agreeing to a salary of $825K for this year, a bit above the $760K major league minimum. He presumably wants to keep collecting that salary for the rest of the year and will therefore report to Reno.
A few years ago, the southpaw was a solid piece of the Arizona roster. In 2023, he tossed 56 innings for the Diamondbacks with a 4.18 earned run average. He paired a 28% strikeout rate with a 5.9% walk rate.
Unfortunately, he required surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome early in 2024, which put him on the shelf for most of that season. He’s back on the mound here in 2025 but his results haven’t been great so far. The Snakes have kept him on optional assignment and he has tossed 17 Triple-A innings with an ERA of 8.47. His 14.6% strikeout rate and 9.8% walk rate at that level are both clear downgrades from his major league work of a few years ago, with diminished velocity as well.
Given the uncertainty there, it’s unsurprising that no club put in a claim. Assuming Nelson accepts his assignment, he’ll try to get back on track with Reno. Perhaps he can regain some velocity and some better results as he moves further away from his surgery. If he’s not added back to the roster by the end of the year, he’ll be able to elect minor league free agency, as is the case for all players with at least three years of service who are removed from a 40-man roster during a season.
Photo courtesy of Stan Szeto, Imagn Images
Diamondbacks Place Pavin Smith On IL, Select Tristin English
The Diamondbacks announced a series of roster moves this afternoon headlined by their placement of first baseman Pavin Smith on the injured list with an oblique strain. Infielder Tristin English had his contract selected from Triple-A to replace Smith on the roster while left-hander Tommy Henry was recalled to the majors and placed on the 60-day injured list to create a 40-man roster spot for English.
Smith, 29, has played just one of Arizona’s last four games and now heads to the shelf with an oblique strain. The severity of the injury is not yet known, nor is it clear when Smith will be able to return, though he’ll be out until after the All-Star break at the very least. It’s a tough blow for a Diamondbacks roster that’s already been ravaged by injuries to key pieces like Corbin Burnes, A.J. Puk, Justin Martinez, and Gabriel Moreno this season.
The club’s first-round pick all the way back in 2017, Smith made his big league debut in 2020 but scuffled at the big league level for several years before finally breaking out during his age-28 season last year. Since then, Smith has been a key cog in the Diamondbacks’ lineup with a fantastic .265/.363/.485 slash line in 139 games, with 17 homers, 26 doubles, and a 13.7% walk rate. That sort of production is difficult to replace, and bench pieces like Randal Grichuk and Jake McCarthy will be called upon to help take up the load in the Arizona lineup.
One other potential contributor could be English, who is set to make his MLB debut should he make it into a game. The club’s third-rounder back in 2019, English has spent time in all four corners throughout his time in the minors can could be a major help for the club off the bench or against left-handed pitchers. The 28-year-old scuffled a bit at Triple-A last year but has hit incredibly well across 58 games at the level this season with a .338/.388/.549 slash line to go with nine home runs, 23 doubles, and a strikeout rate of just 14.2%. Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor have the infield corners locked down on a fairly regular basis for the Diamondbacks, though Smith’s departure leaves DH at-bats for the taking and English could contribute in the outfield as well. It’s also possible that Naylor, who has been playing through a neck injury in recent days, could benefit from extra time at DH that would allow English to step in at first base.
As for Henry, the southpaw underwent elbow surgery late last month. Manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Alex Weiner of AZ Sports) today that Henry’s procedure repaired his UCL with an internal brace rather than a full replacement (Tommy John) surgery. That could improve Henry’s odds of pitching at some point during the 2026 season, but the decision to move him to the 60-day IL remains largely procedural as he won’t pitch again in 2025 regardless. With that being said, the move does afford Henry the opportunity to collect an MLB salary and earn big league service time while he rehabs his surgically repaired elbow.
Diamondbacks Activate Corbin Carroll From 10-Day IL
Corbin Carroll is returning to the Diamondbacks’ lineup, as the club announced that the outfielder has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Utilityman Tim Tawa was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.
Carroll last played on June 18, when he was hit in the left wrist by a pitch from Blue Jays southpaw Justin Bruihl. The result was a chip fracture and a trip to the IL that officially began on June 21, though thankfully, it appears as though Carroll dodged the bullet of a more serious injury. Carroll felt good enough to play in an Arizona Complex League game on Thursday and he took part in a live batting practice session yesterday.
Before he was sidelined, Carroll was enjoying a huge season, and a return to the form he showed in winning NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2023. The 149 wRC+ Carroll has posted through 323 plate appearances this season is indeed even higher than his 132 wRC+ in 2023, and a big step up from his relatively disappointing 107 wRC+ last year. Carroll is hitting .255/.341/.573 with 20 homers and a league-best nine triples this season, also contributing strong baserunning and (in the view of the Outs Above Average metric) plus defensive in right field.
Getting Carroll back so quickly is a huge boost to the Diamondbacks, who remain on the outskirts of the playoff race with a 43-45 record. Arizona is 4.5 games back of the final NL wild card spot with three other teams sitting between the D’Backs and the Padres, who hold that last wild card berth. The Snakes will have to make up some serious ground in July to more properly get themselves into the hunt, and to potentially avoid a significant selloff at the deadline.
Tayler Scott Elects Free Agency
Reliever Tayler Scott elected free agency after being outrighted by the Diamondbacks, according to the MLB.com transaction log. Arizona had designated the righty for assignment over the weekend when they called up John Curtiss.
Scott has been DFA twice on the season. He began the year with the Astros and was dropped from the roster in mid-May. He elected free agency, signed a minor league deal with Arizona, and was selected onto their big league roster in June. Scott pitched six times for the Snakes, allowing nine runs in as many innings with seven strikeouts and four walks. He carries a 6.66 earned run average over 25 2/3 innings between Houston and Arizona on the season.
The 33-year-old Scott has pitched in parts of five MLB campaigns. He made 79 appearances with Houston but has otherwise yet to reach 10 games for any individual team. He has been a very popular depth target, however, as the Diamondbacks were the eighth club of his big league career. He’ll pursue his next opportunity now that he’s back on the open market.
MLBTR Podcast: Depleted Mets’ Pitching, The Pirates Are Open For Business, And More!
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- Griffin Canning‘s injury dealing another blow to the Mets‘ rotation (1:45)
- Which playoff-caliber starters could be available at the deadline? (6:10)
- What does Canning’s free agency look like with this injury? (12:55)
- The Pirates reportedly having almost no one off the table at the deadline (15:10)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Could the Orioles be sellers at the deadline and then make a late-season run for a Wild Card berth? (28:35)
- Should the Royals make Vinnie Pasquantino available at the deadline? (31:20)
- Should the Cubs get Eugenio Suárez from the Diamondbacks? (35:30)
- Should the Mariners get Josh Naylor of the Diamondbacks or Alex Bregman of the Red Sox? (40:10)
- If the Reds are sellers, should they make TJ Friedl available? (44:20)
- The constant tough question of when a small-market team should sell a star player (47:05)
Check out our past episodes!
- The Braves Say They Won’t Sell, Jeimer Candelario DFA’d, And Injured D-Backs – listen here
- Reacting To The Devers Trade And Aaron Civale – listen here
- White Sox Ownership, Roman Anthony, And The Diamondbacks’ Rotation – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images
D-Backs, Seth Brown Agree To Deal
The Diamondbacks are in agreement with corner outfielder/first baseman Seth Brown, MLBTR has learned. He’d been released by the A’s last week.
Brown, 33 this month, had spent a decade with the A’s organization. The former 19th-round pick emerged as a productive platoon bat early in his MLB career. He reached 20 home runs in consecutive seasons in 2021 and ’22, combining to hit .234/.304/.483 against right-handed pitching. His numbers have dipped over the two and a half seasons since then, though he staved off what once seemed a likely non-tender by hitting well in the second half last year.
The A’s tendered Brown an arbitration contract at $2.7MM. That didn’t work out, as he stumbled to a .185/.303/.262 showing in 76 trips to the plate. The A’s briefly outrighted him off the 40-man roster, but he quickly hit his way back to the big leagues by mashing seven homers in nine Triple-A contests. Brown suffered a minor elbow injury not long after the A’s reselected his contract, however.
Once he was ready to return from the injured list last week, the team decided not to put him back on the active roster. Brown had surpassed five years of service in the meantime, giving him the right to refuse an outright assignment without forfeiting his salary, so the A’s released him.
Arizona already has lefty-hitting first base/designated hitter options in Josh Naylor and Pavin Smith. They’re operating with an all righty-hitting bench. If Brown cracks the MLB roster at any point, the Snakes would only owe him the prorated portion of the $760K league minimum. He’d be eligible for arbitration next offseason if he finishes the season in the big leagues, albeit as a non-tender candidate.