PHOENIX — As the initial shock of the Arizona Diamondbacks trading outfielder Jake McCarthy to the Colorado Rockies began to settle, general manager Mike Hazen addressed what led to the move.
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Arizona Diamondbacks Executive Vice President and General Manager Mike Hazen during spring training practice at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale on Feb. 13, 2025. © Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
According to SI’s Alex D’Agostino, Hazen said the Diamondbacks’ surplus of outfielders, combined with players who were out of minor-league options, played a significant role in the decision.
“We felt like this was a spot of getting value for Jake,” Hazen said, according to D’Agostino. “Obviously, Jake’s a good player and he’s done a lot of really good things here. But we felt like getting in front of this heading into spring was something that we needed to tackle.”
Mar 27, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Jake McCarthy (31) hits a sacrifice fly RBI against the Chicago Cubs during the sixth inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
The return for McCarthy was right-handed pitching prospect Josh Grosz, who has yet to make his debut at the major league level. While his numbers have been relatively modest, Arizona needed to take the opportunity to add pitching depth — even if it wasn’t an MLB-ready arm.
However, the Diamondbacks’ general manager did not want this opportunity to slip by.
“I don’t really feel like I was getting back a major league reliever, in this type of a deal,” said Hazen. “So I think assessing the opportunity that we had available to us, given what the entire offseason was presenting to us, I’m not sure that that type of return was going to happen.”
Aug 10, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Jake McCarthy (31) celebrates with infielder Josh Bell (36) after hitting a home run in the seventh inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Allan Henry-USA TODAY Sports
The trade was a rare one between National League West rivals. It marked the first time the Diamondbacks and Rockies had been involved in a trade featuring an MLB player since 2012, when Colorado traded Matt Reynolds to Arizona for Ryan Wheeler.
While Arizona adds another young arm to develop into a major league–level talent and bolster its depth, McCarthy will have the opportunity to see more playing time in Colorado.
With McCarthy off the 40-man roster, the Diamondbacks now have one open spot. Who will fill it remains to be seen. A potential signing? That remains to be determined, as the organization continues to prioritize pitching depth in any way possible.
Arizona Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen introduces new starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez during a news conference at Chase Field on Dec. 12, 2023. © Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK
Reports in December indicated that the Diamondbacks wanted to reshape the outfield while also addressing the infield. Although there is still talent within the organization to fill these roles, it remains uncertain who will ultimately take on these positions.
“We’re going to continue to look to address our position player club, too,” the general manager said. “I think there’s a couple of bats that we probably need to add in some form or fashion to complement the guys that we have.”
Jake McCarthy was out of options, so the Dbacks move him to Colorado for a 23-year-old Double A Starting Pitching prospect in Josh Grosz. With Jorge Barrosa out of options plus having Tim Tawa, Jordan Lawlar and the return of Lourdes Gurriel, Arizona moves off a logjam off…
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Wendy Lopez is a reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on her X account, @wlopezde
Diamondbacks address OF surplus, trade Jake McCarthy to Rockies for RHP Josh Grosz
