Lots of news. I’m sure you’ve seen it.
Diamondbacks News
(Diamondbacks Under Review) Merrill Kelly Heads to Rangers as D-backs Reload Pitching Pipeline
The Arizona Diamondbacks have completed one more significant trade, sending right-hander Merrill Kelly to the Texas Rangers in exchange for three pitching prospects. Zac Gallen, the team’s Opening Day starter, will remain in Arizona.
Kelly became the fourth expiring contract to be dealt ahead of the deadline. The team sent Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suárez to the Mariners, and Randal Grichuk to the Royals. The last time Kelly started a game at Globe Life Field, it was Game 2 of the 2023 World Series, where he outdueled his future teammate (Jordan Montgomery) in a 9-1 victory.
“We felt like this was a really good target for us, and a really nice fit,” general manager Matt Arnold said, referring to Miller, who was an under-the-radar, cost-effective pickup in a market that saw other contending teams pay astronomical prices in the form of top prospects for bigger bullpen names.
(SI.com) D-backs’ GM Reveals Third Base Plans after Eugenio Suárez Trade
“He [Jordan Lawler] will be finishing up his rehab here in the next few days. We should get him back out on his feet in the games, likely in Reno. And then we’ll decide from there,” Hazen said.
Arizona’s GM also mentioned names like utilitymen Tim Tawa and Ildemaro Vargas, as well as Blaze Alexander.
While Hazen ultimately did not commit to one of those names as the leading option, he was adamant that fans would “see that group” at third base in Suárez’s absence.
(Arizona Sports) The 2025 Diamondbacks’ legacy will be defined by sadness, sloppiness and softness
The 2025 Diamondbacks will leave a sad legacy. They are the team that died at the deadline.
They will not hang a banner. They were forced to waive the white flag.
In sum, the Diamondbacks traded away Eugenio Suarez, Merrill Kelly, Josh Naylor, Randal Grichuk, Jordan Montgomery and Shelby Miller. The concession is heavy, and so are the hearts. And for a good chunk of the fan base, the retention of the untradeable Zac Gallen is no consolation prize.
[Ed. Note] As much as I dislike Bickley on principle and specifically his tendency to throw around the word soft when the hardest thing he ever did at his job was to say no to the third jelly filled donut, he’s not entirely wrong here. I’m sure that there will be significant retrospection at all levels of the organization as to what went wrong and what needs to happen to prevent it again. And that will probably come with some changes.
MLB News
(MLB.com) 6 winners of the Trade Deadline
Now that the dust has settled, the question becomes: Who are the big winners of this year’s trade season? Obviously, we won’t know for sure until actual games are played, with the true answer not coming until late October or perhaps even years down the line.
But since when has “not knowing for sure” ever stopped anyone from rampant speculation? Here are six teams that sure look like immediate winners.
(Yahoo! Sports) MLB trade deadline: 30 team-by-team look at who’s in and who’s out
Here’s the flurry of activity that happened, team-by-team, in the lead-up to MLB’s trade deadline on Thursday. Some clubs were really busy (everything must go, said the Twins) while others didn’t appear pressed (hello, Red Sox).