Which prospects or younger players are likely to see more playing time after the Trade Deadline?
Introduction
In the media bonanza that is the Trade Deadline, it’s easy to lose the thread that all of these teams will still have around 50 games remaining in their schedules once the deadline passes. That means there will still need to be ~450 innings both pitched and ~150 at-bats each player will have to take, regardless of the team’s playoff status. Thus, there’s the inevitable result for sellers that if and when pieces are traded away, other players will have to step in to pitch or take that at-bat. This doesn’t always have to be viewed negatively either as it gives opportunities for younger players to acclimate to the big leagues with less pressure, allows front offices to evaluate players more accurately, and creates opportunities for players who might otherwise not get one. After all, one of the reasons that our own Christian Walker became the player he is today was the offseason trade of Paul Goldschmidt between the 2018 and 2019 seasons. So, with the first of (probably) several trades coming tonight for the team with Josh Naylor being shipped up to Seattle, I thought it a prudent time to look at which prospects might see an increase in playing time.
Tristin English and Tim Tawa
I lumped these two players together because the Naylor trade likely impacts both of them. With Pavin Smith still on the shelf with a strained oblique, the team does not currently have a first baseman on the active roster. That will obviously change tomorrow when the team announces a corresponding roster move(s) for Naylor’s trade. I suspect at least one of these two will be brought back up after each debuted with the big league club earlier this season though for vastly different amounts. Tawa made his debut back in early April when Ketel Marte went on the IL and did an excellent job filling in, posting a .748 OPS in his first two months – buoyed by a .450 slugging. But in the month-plus before his demotion when his plate appearances became rarer, he struggled to a .145/.190/.182 slash line with 59 plat appearances. More importantly, the Oregonian played a super-utility role by appearing at every defensive position besides pitcher and catcher. That kind of positional flexibility is extremely valuable and could mean that he gets further looks at the big league level. English meanwhile has accumulated over 1,000 innings at both first and third base in the minor leagues and has even spent some time in both corner outfield positions this year in Reno. He has little left to prove in the minors at this point after 258 total games with the Aces and possesses a solid .292/.360/.489 slash line in three seasons.
Jordan Lawlar
Still the team’s top prospect, Lawlar’s stock has taken a tumble over the past year or two as injuries have significantly curtailed his development and the results at the big league level have been underwhelming. But given the likelihood that the team will trade Eugenio Suarez because of his sky-high trade value to so many teams that are starving for third base offense, it will likely open up more opportunities for Lawlar. He is still injured with his most recent hamstring injury incident which may keep him out of action until sometime in August. That timeline may work in the team’s favor as they still see him as the third baseman of the future and the hype surrounding him means that he could be a rookie of the year candidate in 2026. If that’s even peripherally possible, the team will do everything it can to keep his rookie status intact through the end of this season to set up that run next year.
Regardless of how the next week goes for the D-Backs, the big league roster will likely look quite different on August 1st than it does right now. Hopefully, those changes allow some youngsters to get their deserved opportunities in the Show as the team starts to shift their focus towards the future.