Diamondbacks Rumors

Diamondbacks Place Gabriel Moreno On 10-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | July 23, 2023 at 10:22pm CDT

Prior to today’s game against the Reds, the Diamondbacks placed catcher Gabriel Moreno on the 10-day injured list due to left shoulder inflammation. Catcher Jose Herrera was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Carson Kelly will be Arizona’s starting catcher while Moreno is sidelined, though Kelly had taken an increasingly large share of the playing time over the last several weeks due to Moreno’s lingering shoulder issue. “It’s something we’ve been trying to manage for some time,” manager Torey Lovullo told MLB.com and other media, and the club ultimately decided that an IL stint was necessary to allow Moreno time to rest up.

In his first full season in the majors and in his first season altogether with the D’Backs, Moreno has hit .270/.316/.360 with three homers over 244 plate appearances, translating to an 82 wRC+. It hasn’t been in the instant impact the D’Backs were hoping to get from the former top prospect, though it is safe to guess that this nagging shoulder problem has had some impact on Moreno’s hitting. While his bat and pitch-framing are still a work in progress, Moreno has already established himself as one of the game’s best throwing arms. Moreno has nabbed 11 of 18 runners trying to steal, for the highest caught-stealing percentage (61%) of any backstop in the league.

Due to a fractured forearm in Spring Training, Kelly has been limited t0 20 games and 63 PA, and he has hit only .183/.206/.250. Beyond Herrera, Ali Sanchez and Juan Centeno are the only other catchers in the Diamondbacks’ system with any MLB experience, so if Moreno is projected to be out for anything beyond the minimum 10 days, catching might emerge as a need for the D’Backs heading into the trade deadline.

Arizona probably wouldn’t pursue anything more than another depth catcher if Moreno will eventually be back, yet it creates another target for a D’Backs team that is already known to be looking for both starting and relief pitching. GM Mike Hazen has said his front office will “be aggressive” in looking for upgrades, and the D’Backs are in need of a spark in general after a miserable July. Arizona has lost 12 of its last 16 games, including today’s 7-3 loss to Cincinnati.

Diamondbacks Have Shown Interest In Lucas Giolito

By Darragh McDonald | July 21, 2023 at 1:54pm CDT

The Diamondbacks are among the teams to have shown interest in White Sox starter Lucas Giolito, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com. It’s a sensible match, given that Giolito is one of the top trade candidates this summer and the D’Backs have a need in their rotation.

The White Sox are 41-57, which places them nine games back of the division lead even in the weak American League Central. The playoff odds at FanGraphs have them down to a 1.5% chance of leapfrogging the Tigers, Guardians and Twins in order to take the crown. With just over a week to go until the August 1 deadline, it seems fair to expect them to make a few deals aimed at improving their chances in future seasons. Recent reporting has indicated the club is willing to consider deals on all players except for Luis Robert Jr., Eloy Jiménez, Dylan Cease and Andrew Vaughn.

Giolito would be one of their most logical trade chips, given that he is an impending free agent and a potential playoff starter for an acquiring club. MLBTR recently placed him in the #1 slot on a list of top deadline trade candidates, a reflection of both his likelihood to be traded and his appeal to other clubs.

The righty made 72 starts over the 2019 to 2021 seasons, posting a 3.47 earned run average in that time. That figure spiked to 4.90 last year but Giolito has brought it back down 3.96 here in 2023. Across those five seasons, he’s struck out 28.5% of hitters while walking 8.2%. He’s making $10.4MM this year but only about $3.35MM will be left to be paid out at the time of the deadline.

Just about any club in need of starting pitching should have at least some interest in Giolito and he’s already been connected to the Dodgers, while the Reds have reportedly had discussions with the White Sox about their starters, which presumably includes Giolito.

There’s plenty of logic in the Diamondbacks throwing their hat in the ring, given the state of their own rotation. The club has featured a top-heavy rotation this year, with Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly doing strong work at the front. Kelly is on the injured list right now due to a calf issue and could return next week, but even if that proves to be the case, that still leaves the D’Backs with plenty of questions behind the Gallen-Kelly duo.

Tommy Henry has a 3.89 ERA but it’s possible he’s lucky to have it, as his .276 batting average on balls in play and 81.1% strand rate are both on the lucky side of average. His 5.07 FIP and 5.23 SIERA suggest some regression may be in store. Ryne Nelson has made 20 starts but with a 4.82 ERA in that time. Zach Davies has a 7.38 ERA for the year and is on the injured list for a second time. Prospect Brandon Pfaadt has been given six starts but has a 9.82 ERA in those.

Despite those rotation issues, the Snakes are 54-43 and currently tied for the top Wild Card spot in the National League, in addition to sitting just two games back of the Dodgers for the division lead. Adding some pitching for the final months of the postseason race would be a logical move, something that general manager Mike Hazen admitted last month.

Although Giolito will be highly in demand, the acquisition cost in terms of the trade return might not be exorbitant since he’s a rental, at least compared to a similar pitcher with multiple years of control. Hazen also recently said that the club will likely be “aggressive” but not “reckless” at the deadline, in terms of which younger players they are willing to give up. Perhaps going after an impending free agent like Giolito would fit that plan.

Whether the Diamondbacks are willing to be aggressive enough to land a pitcher like Giolito remains to be seen. There have already been a few clubs publicly connected to him and there are surely plenty of others who have called the White Sox. For any club that comes up short, some of the other rental starters that could be available include Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty, Michael Lorenzen and many others.

Diamondbacks Place Zach Davies On IL With Back Injury

By Darragh McDonald | July 19, 2023 at 4:51pm CDT

The Diamondbacks announced today that right-hander Zach Davies has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to lower back inflammation, with left-hander Joe Mantiply recalled in a corresponding move.

It’s been a frustrating season for Davies, 30, whom the D’Backs re-signed to a $5MM deal in the winter. He made just two starts earlier in the season before getting sidelined by an oblique strain that put him out of action for about six weeks. He returned at the end of May and has made 10 more starts but has a 7.38 on the year overall and is now back on the injured list yet again. A 51.7% strand rate is probably making his ERA worse than he deserves, though his 17.8% strikeout rate and 10.4% walk rate are both worse than league average.

Davies isn’t the most essential piece of the roster in Arizona but his loss compounds a rotation issue that stands out as a weak point for the club. Merrill Kelly is also on the injured list due to a calf injury, though he could return to the club in the next week, per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com.

Even with Kelly back and Zac Gallen atop the rotation, the rest of the picture is a little shaky. Tommy Henry has a 3.89 ERA but his peripherals aren’t great, leading to a 5.08 FIP and 5.24 SIERA. Ryne Nelson has a 4.98 ERA for the year. Prospect Brandon Pfaadt has struggled in his opportunities with a 9.82 ERA on the year so far.

It’s unclear how long Davies is expected to be out but will undergo an MRI tomorrow, relays Gilbert. Regardless of the severity of the issue, his absence seemingly only enhances the club’s need to add starting pitching at the deadline, something that general manager Mike Hazen has already admitted will be a priority. The club was leading the National League West for much of the year but has since slid to third place behind the Dodgers and Giants, though they do still possess a Wild Card spot. The August 1 trade deadline is now less than two weeks away.

Mike Hazen Discusses Diamondbacks’ Deadline Approach

By Darragh McDonald | July 18, 2023 at 7:51pm CDT

The Diamondbacks are having their best season in quite a while, setting them up to be deadline buyers for the first time in years. They haven’t finished above .500 since 2019 and haven’t cracked the postseason since 2017, but are currently 52-42 and in possession of a National League Wild Card spot. General manager Mike Hazen spoke with Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic about the upcoming August 1 trade deadline and how the club hopes to make bold moves to help out this year without significantly harming the future.

“There’s a difference between being aggressive and reckless,” Hazen said. “We’re not going to be reckless. We’ll be aggressive, even ultra-aggressive, but I feel like being reckless does not serve anyone’s interests, this year’s team or in the future.”

This year’s trade deadline is seemingly defined by general uncertainty, with various clubs hovering near the middle and having to make difficult decisions about buying or selling. With the expanded playoffs and weak Central divisions, very few clubs are clearly in contention or out of contention and many are in the middle. Not too long ago, the Diamondbacks were one of the few clear buyers, as they had been leading the National League West for much of the year. However, they’ve gone 2-8 over their last 10 games and are now behind both the Dodgers and Giants in the division, pushing them closer to that mushy middle area.

That doesn’t seem like it’s going to dissuade Hazen from making moves to bolster the club in the weeks to come. “I think based on the way this team is standing right now we should be looking at being aggressive at the deadline,” he said. “I’m expecting us to play Diamondback baseball for the next two weeks so we’ll be standing in the same spot or better, so, yeah, we’re going to behave that way.”

About six weeks ago, Hazen candidly admitted that pitching would likely be the club’s focus at the deadline. That’s not surprising given that the rotation has been fairly mediocre outside of Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, the latter of whom is on the injured list. The question for the D’Backs seems to be how much they are willing to give up in order to get that pitching. Given Hazen’s comments about being “aggressive” but not “reckless,” it seems fair to expect the club won’t be looking to deal its top prospects, such as Jordan Lawlar or Brandon Pfaadt.

That’s a defensible lane for the club to pick, given their current trajectory. They are built around a young core of players like Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo, Gabriel Moreno and others, perhaps setting them up to be in contention for many years to come. Hazen and the rest of his staff will surely want to increase the club’s chances here in 2023 but also don’t want to hamper the rest of their competitive window.

That being said, it seems that Hazen will have some willingness to trade players from their farm system, with their track record of player acquisition and development hopefully allowing them to replenish whatever is moved. “We have to be confident that we can do a lot of the things that we did to put this team together, which wasn’t just through signing big free agents and things like that,” he said. “We need to be confident that we’re going to be able to do that again. That allows you to take on the mindset of being a little more aggressive, that things aren’t irreplaceable. Part of not being one player away is also not (thinking) one minor league player is going to determine our fate as a team moving forward.”

Arizona has a challenging schedule between now and the deadline, playing strong clubs like Atlanta, Cincinnati, Seattle and San Francisco, with a three-game set against St. Louis their only matchup against a club that’s currently below .500. Another losing streak could perhaps downgrade the club from “ultra-aggressive” to merely “aggressive,” but it seems as though fans of the club should expect some kind of additions regardless.

Wherever their comfort level lands in terms of what they are willing to part with will then have an impact on what they can acquire. Lucas Giolito and Jordan Montgomery are some of the more obvious trade candidates, though both of those are rentals. Pitchers with extra control like Aaron Civale or Paul Blackburn could also be available, though the extra control will also lead their current clubs to seek larger returns in trade talks.

Diamondbacks Sign First-Round Pick Tommy Troy

By Anthony Franco | July 18, 2023 at 7:29pm CDT

The D-Backs announced the signings of 16 draftees this afternoon. Among the group putting pen to paper was 12th overall selection Tommy Troy. The Stanford product receives a $4.4MM signing bonus, reports Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline (Twitter link).

That’s below the selection’s $5.04MM slot value, though that’s not uncommon for a college product. Troy checked in between 12th and 19th on pre-draft rankings from The Athletic, ESPN, MLB Pipeline and Baseball America. The 5’10” infielder is regarded as a polished college hitter with some pull-side power and the ability to stick somewhere on the infield. Scouting reports suggest he’s unlikely to stay at shortstop but could be an everyday second or third baseman based on a well-rounded profile.

The right-handed hitter had a strong showing with wood bats in the Cape Cod League during his pre-draft summer. He followed up with an excellent junior season for the Cardinal, hitting .394/.478/.699 with 17 home runs and steals apiece. Troy walked in 11.9% of his plate appearances while striking out 14.3% of the time.

Arizona shortstop Jordan Lawlar is the game’s #12 prospect at Baseball America. Troy joins him as a Top 100 player on BA’s updated list, checking in 87th.

Cubs Acquire P.J. Higgins

By Nick Deeds | July 16, 2023 at 1:59pm CDT

Per The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney, the Cubs have acquired catcher P.J. Higgins in a minor trade with the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash consideration.

It’s a homecoming for Higgins, who was drafted by the Cubs in the 12th round of the 2015 draft. He made his big league debut on the north side back in 2021 with a nine-game cup of coffee before getting a longer look in the organization the following season as the club’s third catcher behind Willson Contreras and Yan Gomes. Higgins made it into 74 games that season, slashing .229/.310/.383 in 229 plate appearances, good for a roughly average wRC+ of 97. In addition to his 236 innings of work behind the plate, Higgins spent time at both infield corners with the Cubs in 2022.

Despite that solid performance, Higgins was eventually designated for assignment by the Cubs during the offseason to make room for newly-signed catcher Tucker Barnhart on the 40-man roster. Higgins elected free agency shortly thereafter before signing with the Diamondbacks on a minor league deal shortly after the new year. In 2023, Higgins has hit well at the Triple-A level for Arizona with a .317/.407/.473 slash line (116 wRC+) in 58 games. Unfortunately for Higgins, he was blocked with the Diamondbacks by Gabriel Moreno, Carson Kelly, and Jose Herrera, all of whom were on the 40-man roster in Arizona.

Higgins now returns to Chicago, though he’s once again blocked by a trio of catchers on the 40-man roster: Barnhart, Gomes, and Miguel Amaya. That being said, Barnhart has struggled massively at the plate with a wRC+ of just 58 in 110 plate appearances this season, while Gomes was among MLBTR’s Top 50 Deadline Trade Candidates earlier this month. Should the club move on from either Barnhart or Gomes in the near future, Higgins could have a path to a roster spot with the Cubs as the club’s third catcher. In the meantime, he figures to head to Triple-A where he’ll share time with Dom Nunez and Bryce Windham at the Triple-A level.

Diamondbacks Outright Konnor Pilkington

By Anthony Franco | July 13, 2023 at 8:06pm CDT

The D-Backs sent left-hander Konnor Pilkington through outright waivers, according to the transaction tracker at MLB.com. He went unclaimed after being designated for assignment last Friday.

Pilkington, 25, has spent a little more than two months in the Arizona organization. The Snakes purchased his contract from the Guardians on May 1, a few days after Cleveland designated him for assignment while promoting top prospect Tanner Bibee. The D-Backs kept Pilkington on optional assignment to Triple-A Reno since acquiring him, but he’s had a tough time in the brutal Pacific Coast League setting for pitchers.

Through 11 starts and 39 2/3 innings with the Aces, the former 3rd-round selection has allowed a 9.53 ERA. He’s walked nearly as many hitters as he’s punched out (33 vs. 37) and surrendered a staggering 11 home runs.

Pilkington’s lone MLB appearance of the year was a two-inning relief outing for Cleveland on April 25. He’d pitched 15 times (including 11 starts) for the Guardians last season. Pilkington managed a respectable 3.88 ERA through his first 58 MLB frames, although that came with a modest 19.4% strikeout percentage and a lofty 12.4% walk rate.

This is the first time in Pilkington’s career in which he has cleared waivers. Because he also has fewer than three years of MLB service time, he doesn’t have the ability to explore free agency. Pilkington will stick with Reno and look for better results that could secure him a new spot on the 40-man roster.

The Trade That Landed NL’s All-Star Starter In Arizona

By Anthony Franco | July 11, 2023 at 6:50pm CDT

The All-Star Game is soon to get underway. Kicking off the festivities on the mound: Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen and Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.

The two pitchers were acquired by their respective clubs at very different stages of their careers. Cole had established himself as arguably the sport’s best pitcher by the 2019-20 offseason. He’d join the Yankees on a nine-year, $324MM free agent contract that shattered the record for the largest pitching deal in MLB history. 519 innings of 3.19 ERA ball later, the Yankees are surely happy with that investment.

Gallen landed in Arizona well before he was established as an MLB starter. Originally drafted by the Cardinals, he was dealt to the Marlins as a prospect alongside Sandy Alcantara, Magneuris Sierra and Daniel Castano in the lopsided Marcell Ozuna trade over the 2017-18 offseason. Gallen spent a year and a half in the Miami system, reaching the big leagues in June ’19.

A rookie starter on a then-noncompetitive Miami club, Gallen wasn’t on many people’s radar as a viable trade candidate going into the 2019 deadline. The Fish and Diamondbacks ignored traditional competitive windows and lined up on the extremely rare swap of top young talents: a one-for-one deal that sent Gallen to Phoenix for Double-A middle infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Swapping highly-regarded prospects at positions of need is far more common in fan speculation than it is in practice. Organizations are typically reluctant to surrender quality controllable talent. Clubs liked those players enough to acquire and develop them in the first place; it’s only natural if teams tend to value their in-house talent more than other organizations might.

Going into the 2019 season, Chisholm was generally regarded as the superior prospect. The Bahamian infielder ranked 59th on Baseball America’s top 100 list and 32nd on Keith Law’s list (then at ESPN). His athleticism, switch-hitting ability and huge raw power made him a potential franchise middle infielder. Gallen was more generally perceived as a future strike-throwing #4 starter than a burgeoning ace.

Gallen flipped that script with a breakout 2019 campaign. He posted a 1.77 ERA over 14 Triple-A starts before his first call-up. He made seven starts with Miami, working to a 2.72 ERA with a strong 28.5% strikeout percentage in his first 36 2/3 frames. Arizona had to view Gallen as a potential top-of-the-rotation starter to make parting with Chisholm worthwhile.

They’ve been proven right in that evaluation. In parts of five seasons as a Diamondback, Gallen has worked to a 3.10 ERA through 539 1/3 innings. He’s striking out just over 27% of batters faced. The North Carolina product was a little walk-prone early in his career, but he has consistently cut into the free passes as he’s gotten more experience.

Only once has Gallen posted an ERA higher than this year’s 3.04 clip. His 4.30 mark in 2021 looks like a blip, as he followed up a career-low 2.54 last season with his All-Star first half. Of the 94 starters with 70+ innings, he’s in the top 25 in ERA (18th), strikeout rate (22nd at 26.5%) and SIERA (14th at 3.53).

Gallen has twice found himself on Cy Young ballots. He’s likely to land some support for a third season after picking up a deserved first All-Star selection. Gallen has been the clear staff ace for a resurgent Arizona club that went into the All-Star Break percentage points behind the Dodgers for first place in the NL West. He is eligible for arbitration for another two seasons.

While the trade leans in Arizona’s favor, Chisholm has tapped into a lot of the promise he’d shown as a minor leaguer. He connected on 14 home runs and swiped 12 bases in only 60 games last season, earning an All-Star nod of his own. Unfortunately, he couldn’t play in that game, as his campaign was ended on June 29 by a back injury.

The Fish moved Chisholm to center field to accommodate the acquisition of Luis Arraez over the offseason. Chisholm has gotten mixed reviews from public defensive metrics for his outfield performance. He’s hitting .246/.302/.443 with nine longballs and 14 steals over 183 trips to the dish this year. Injuries have again been a story, as he lost around a month to turf toe on his right foot and is currently on the injured list with an oblique strain.

While the repeated health questions are surely frustrating for Chisholm and the organization alike, he’s flashed the ability to be a franchise building block. Controllable through 2026, he figures to play an everyday role in South Florida for the next few seasons.

In spite of Chisholm’s two absences, Miami is 14 games over .500 and in possession of the National League’s top Wild Card spot. That’s in large part thanks to an excellent rotation. Miami’s starting staff would be better if Gallen were a part of it — every team’s would — but the Fish are as well suited as any club to surrender quality pitching for a potential impact position player. They took a similar approach last offseason, sending Pablo López to Minnesota for Arraez.

Overall, both clubs probably feel strongly about their evaluation of the young player they acquired four seasons ago. Gallen has been healthier and the more valuable player to this point, but Chisholm is one of the top hitters on a Marlins’ club that skews toward pitching. While trades like this don’t happen frequently, the surprising Gallen-Chisholm swap has been impactful for a pair of the NL’s upstart contenders.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

NL West Notes: Freeland, Jameson, Corbin, Ohtani, Dodgers

By Mark Polishuk | July 9, 2023 at 10:22pm CDT

Rockies southpaw Kyle Freeland suffered a dislocated right shoulder while making a diving attempt at a Brett Wisely bunt in today’s 1-0 loss to the Giants. Freeland was in obvious pain on the field, and told reporters (including Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post) afterwards that “that was one of the worst feelings I’ve had, pitching-injury-wise.” An MRI tomorrow will check for any further damage, but perhaps the one plus is that the dislocated shoulder quickly went back into the socket, as Freeland said x-rays were taken to examine the shoulder and rule out any broken bones.

A trip to the 15-day injured list is certainly coming for Freeland following the All-Star break, and it remains to be seen how long he’ll be sidelined, though it at least helps that his pitching arm wasn’t injured. Freeland has a 4.72 ERA and the Statcast numbers aren’t fond of his work, but perhaps his the most important statistic for the season is a team-leading 103 innings. With so many Colorado pitchers already being lost to injuries this season, Freeland’s durability had been a positive for the club, but now the left-hander is himself looking at a substantial stint on the IL.

Diamondbacks Select Tyler Gilbert; Drey Jameson Moved To 60-Day IL

By Mark Polishuk | July 8, 2023 at 12:30pm CDT

The Diamondbacks selected the contract of left-hander Tyler Gilbert from Triple-A Reno, and optioned outfielder Kyle Lewis to Triple-A in the corresponding 26-man roster move. To make room on the 40-man, Arizona moved right-hander Drey Jameson to the 60-day injured list.

Gilbert’s last MLB appearance came almost a year ago, as he tossed four innings for the D’Backs on July 26, 2022. An elbow sprain sent him to the 60-day IL and subsequently ended his season, and Arizona then designated Gilbert for assignment during the winter and outrighted him off the 40-man roster.

Best known for his no-hitter against the Padres in 2021, Gilbert hasn’t been able to sustain the momentum after that dream start (literally his first start in the majors, after three previous relief appearances). While posting some good results throughout the rest of his 2021 rookie season, Gilbert had a 5.24 ERA over 34 1/3 innings last year and spent a lot of time in the minors.

The results haven’t been particularly good at Triple-A Reno this season, as Gilbert has a 5.67 ERA over 54 innings, though his 27.3% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate hint that he is getting a little unlucky in the hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League. Gilbert also has a .343 BABIP and eight homers allowed over his 54 frames of work.

It seems like the D’Backs will use Gilbert in the long relief role left vacant when Jameson was injured, and the rather immediate move to the 60-day IL is something of an ominous sign for Jameson’s health. The Diamondbacks only placed Jameson on the 15-day IL yesterday due to elbow inflammation, and he was set to undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury. Results of that MRI haven’t yet been revealed, and even if Jameson has avoided a major injury, the D’Backs might just be showing caution with any elbow-related issue.

Jameson made three starts in a fill-in capacity for Zach Davies earlier this season, but has pitched out of the bullpen over his other 12 outings. While the advanced metrics aren’t wild about Jameson’s modest 21.3% strikeout rate or 10.3% walk rate, the bottom-line results have been there, with a 3.32 ERA over 40 2/3 total innings. Since he’ll now be out until at least the first week of September, the pitching-needy Diamondbacks will need to find another way to make up those innings — the club was already expected to be looking at starters and relievers heading into the trade deadline.

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