Less than two weeks remain until Major League Baseball’s trade deadline on June 30 at 3 p.m. MST, with the Arizona Diamondbacks maintaining hopes of contending for a National League wild card spot.
Over the past three weeks, third baseman Eugenio Suarez has stepped up offensively, complemented by the returns of shortstop Geraldo Perdomo and outfielder Alek Thomas, which have bolstered the lineup since the start of June.
On the pitching front, the Diamondbacks’ starting rotation is dealing with injuries to Jordan Montgomery, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Merrill Kelly. Montgomery is expected to return next week, while young arms Ryne Nelson and Yilber Diaz have admirably filled in.
In the bullpen, the Diamondbacks have relied heavily on right-handers like Paul Sewald, Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel, Justin Martinez, and Bryce Jarvis, who can handle multiple innings. However, the absence of left-handed depth is a concern, exacerbated by Andrew Saalfrank’s season-long suspension due to gambling.
With an expanded playoff field reducing the number of teams out of contention, a seller’s market prevails. Despite this, the Diamondbacks are eyeing left-handed relievers from non-contending teams, including some former Diamondbacks.
Among the targets is Tanner Scott, standout closer for the Miami Marlins, who has garnered significant trade interest ahead of the deadline. Other potential acquisitions include A.J. Puk and Andrew Nardi from the Marlins, Tyler Holton and Andrew Chafin from the Detroit Tigers, as well as T.J. McFarland, Scott Alexander from the Oakland Athletics, Genesis Cabrera from the Toronto Blue Jays, Tanner Banks from the Chicago White Sox, and Matt Moore from the Los Angeles Angels.
As the deadline approaches, teams like the Reds, Giants, Cubs, and Nationals, currently 3.0 games back or further, face critical decisions that could influence the market dynamics in the final stretch of trade negotiations.