One of the worst team ERAs in baseball is presently held by the Diamondbacks, who have been without arguably the top three pitchers in their starting rotation for the majority of the 2024 season. Only teams such as the Marlins, White Sox, and Rockies have had it worse in terms of starting pitcher production.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Reinforcements are expected soon, with Zac Gallen gearing up to return this weekend, Eduardo Rodriguez expected back after the All-Star break, and Merrill Kelly set to return in mid-August. However, given the competitiveness of the NL Wild Card race, the Diamondbacks could greatly benefit from adding another reliable starter to their rotation.
This need was highlighted during their 8-3 loss against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, when Ryne Nelson allowed six earned runs on 10 hits in just 3.2 innings. Similarly, Tommy Henry posted a comparable stat line in Arizona’s 12-1 loss to the Phillies last week, allowing six earned runs in 3.2 innings. Neither of these arms were expected to be in Arizona’s starting rotation before the season began.
Addressing these needs, Jim Bowden at The Athletic proposed a hypothetical trade for the Diamondbacks in an article listing trade ideas for each NL Wild Card contender. Bowden suggests the Diamondbacks send RHP Cristian Mena to the A’s in exchange for Paul Blackburn, who is currently on the 60-day IL with a right foot stress reaction.
Blackburn, expected to return shortly after the All-Star break in mid-July, posted a 4.11 ERA this season before his injury. The 30-year-old has spent all eight years of his career with the A’s. His best season came in 2022 when he was selected for his first All-Star game, finishing the season with a 7-6 record, a 4.28 ERA, and 89 strikeouts compared to 30 walks.
To begin this year, Blackburn started strong, tossing three consecutive shutouts against the Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, and Washington Nationals. During this streak of 19.1 consecutive scoreless innings, he allowed only 11 hits.
Bowden noted:  “Zac Gallen is nearing a return and the Diamondbacks are hoping to get Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez back from the IL by the trade deadline, but that hasn’t stopped them from looking for more veteran starting pitching depth and Blackburn, 30, would provide that if healthy. He has a solid array of off-speed pitches and an above-average ground-ball rate.”
Cristian Mena, the proposed trade candidate, is currently with Arizona’s Triple-A affiliate, the Reno Aces. Mena has yet to appear in the majors due to control issues. Across 82.2 innings in Reno this year, he has walked 38 batters and allowed 45 runs, resulting in a 4.90 ERA.
The MLB trade deadline is July 30th. Last season, the D-backs were quite active ahead of the deadline, acquiring Paul Sewald, Jace Peterson, and Tommy Pham, all of whom contributed to their memorable run to the World Series.
If the Diamondbacks are still in the National League Wild Card hunt come the end of July, which seems more than likely, they are expected to be buyers once again at the deadline.
