Diamondbacks outfielder Jake McCarthy has been a recent subject of trade rumors. Bob Nightengale of USA Today named the Philadelphia Phillies as a potential suitor monitoring Arizona’s outfield situation and pursuing the 26-year-old outfielder if made available. A native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, being traded to Philadelphia would be a homecoming for McCarthy. However, there is a good argument that he should not be made available in the first place.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!In his current opportunity, McCarthy is making the most of it with a .282/.368/.401 slash line in 165 plate appearances. While there isn’t much impact from a power standpoint, his solid average and excellent on-base skills make him an asset in the Diamondbacks lineup. His carrying tool is plus-plus speed, and coupled with good baserunning instincts has developed into a real weapon on the basepaths. He was Arizona’s second best basestealer in 2023 with 26 steals, and the same is true for 2024 with nine steals in 10 attempts. He also can stay in the lineup against left-handed pitching, batting .414 with a .485 on-base percentage.
With the type of impact he can provide offensively, it would be a massive mistake for the Diamondbacks to deal him, especially to one of the top National League teams. It has the potential to immediately backfire, even if an everyday opportunity doesn’t exist for McCarthy. His ability to create chaos on the basepaths and ability to handle left-handed pitching makes him qualified to get an everyday role on most major league teams. At the same time, the level of pitching he could fetch in a potential trade doesn’t make it worthwhile to pursue a deal.
The Diamondbacks face another tough roster decision when Alek Thomas returns from the injured list as early as next week. Thomas has been out since straining his left hamstring on March 31. In his absence, the Diamondbacks have gone with McCarthy taking up the majority of the reps in the outfield, with Corbin Carroll sliding over to center field.
There are reasons to try to get Thomas in the lineup. He’s one of the five best defensive center fielders in the game, being named a Gold Glove finalist in each of the last two seasons. His ability to cover a lot of ground and make tough plays look routine has been something the Diamondbacks have lacked in his absence. With a lot of tough ballparks in the division, it makes sense to have a defensive ace on the field to help a pitching staff besieged by injuries.
At the same time, Thomas’ bat has not earned him opportunities to play. In 827 career PA, he is slashing .230/.273/.362. That level of offensive production makes it difficult to keep him on the field, but at the same time, he’s only 24 years old. With two options remaining on his contract, sending him to Triple-A is a possibility although an unlikely solution.
The Diamondbacks certainly will have find the ideal role for McCarthy, but his bat is too valuable for the team right now to pursue a trade. While he may lack the defensive or power ceiling that Thomas can provide, at the same time with an inconsistent offense it would be a massive mistake to remove a productive hitter who can reach base at the rate McCarthy does and impact the game as a baserunner.
REPORT: Phillies showing interest in Diamondbacks’ Jake McCarthy
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and Arizona Cardinals for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
