The Diamondbacks have already made moves to shore up their bullpen, acquiring A.J. Puk in a trade with the Miami Marlins. To do so, they sold high on a high-ceiling but risky prospect in Deyvison De Los Santos and another riser in Andrew Pintar. Puk addresses the team’s biggest need at the deadline: a left-handed pitcher they can slot in at the back of their bullpen and face someone like Jake Cronenworth with the season on the line.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!In a Zoom call with the media, Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen was asked if they’re still going to be active in the trade market after addressing their biggest need. Hazen didn’t rule out more moves, as he told reporters, including Jesse Friedman of PHNX Sports, that they’re engaged in all aspects of the market and pitching is more of a priority.
Mike Hazen said that the Diamondbacks are still engaged in all aspects of the market, including the bullpen.
He said that pitching is more of a priority than position players right now.
— Jesse Friedman (@JesseNFriedman) July 26, 2024
Speculating on what type of pitching they could add, a starting pitcher isn’t as pressing a need as shoring up the bullpen. Even though Merrill Kelly and Eduardo RodrÃguez are expected to come off the 60-day injured list soon, there’s no guarantee those two can provide consistent, quality starts coming off major shoulder injuries. The Diamondbacks face a dilemma when it comes to adding starting pitching, gamble on a potentially compromised starter or tap into the upper end of their farm system to improve their rotation for the rest of the season.
If they elect to stick with what they have with the rotation, the logical move would be to acquire a bullpen arm. In terms of what type of arm they should add, one with experience pitching late in games would be ideal. That would allow manager Torey Lovullo to be more creative with his best relievers, and worry less about who’s available. Having a deep stable of capable relievers will also allow the team to keep their current arms fresh, as they had to get by last season by heavily relying on their top six pitchers between the rotation and bullpen.
From the right side, some of the top trade targets from MLB Trade Rumors could include Carlos Estevez, Trevor Richards, Kyle Finnegan, John Brebbia, Michael Kopech, and Dylan Floro. After the addition of Puk, there aren’t very many left-handed relievers that actually present an upgrade over what the Diamondbacks already have. If they do target a bullpen upgrade, it will most likely be a right-hander. Estevez, Finnegan, and Kopech have closer experience, although the latter two will come with as much, if not a bigger cost, than what it took to land Paul Sewald from the Mariners last season.
The trade deadline will come at 3:00 P.M. MST on Tuesday. With a tight National League Wild Card race featuring six teams within three games of the top spot, any sort of deal could have a major impact on the postseason picture.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
