Surprising players were traded (Jordan Montgomery)! Expected players were not traded (Zac Gallen). Now that the dust has settled, how does it look?
With 30 minutes to go until the official trade deadline, it looked like it might be a bit of a disappointment. Josh Naylor, Randal Grichuk, and Eugenio Suarez had been shipped to greener pastures, but the final day had not brought any results. The Diamondbacks had several rental pieces available, and the Astros had been rumored to be interested in acquiring Jake McCarthy, but as the steady trickle of trades throughout the day became a deluge, the Diamondbacks remained silent.
Until they weren’t.
The reports of the Rangers being interested in Merrill Kelly were quickly followed by reports that the Rangers had acquired Merrill Kelly, and those were followed by reports of the return for Merrill Kelly, which was substantial. More on that below. Further reporting revealed that Zac Gallen was staying put, and the deadline passed and had been passed for several minutes before reports came through that the Diamondbacks were not done. Despite the deadline having passed, there was still a trade in the works, as a trade had been agreed upon prior to the deadline and sent to the league for review, as it involved injured players. And it was this trade that brought the biggest shock of the day, from the perspective of the Diamondbacks fan: Jordan Montgomery had been traded to the Brewers. The news came down so late that Mike Hazen’s call with reporters began almost exactly at the same time that the rumor filtered out that Montgomery was involved in the trade.
Now that we can see the full picture, a look at the deadline activity.
July 24: Josh Naylor traded to Mariners for LHP Brandyn Garcia and RHP Ashton Izzi
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The first piece of action at the deadline came exactly a week ago and signaled the intention of the Diamondbacks to sell, although Hazen, in discussing the trade the next day, was careful to clarify that he was not giving up on the season, that trades would not be made just to make trades, and that trades would not be made just for financial savings. He was also careful to temper expectations, saying that teams were not willing to trade away major league ready starters for rentals. Major league ready arms would be in the bullpen, while some prospects further back would be potential future starters.
Naylor, a free agent at year’s end, netted an excellent return. Garcia has already made his Diamondbacks debut and shown that he can be a solid bullpen piece. Izzi made his organizational debut on Tuesday night and pitched well in Hillsboro, showing the stuff that gives him a ceiling of a mid-rotation starter in a few years, and also a solid floor of a good bullpen piece. The trade was solid, but not overwhelming. It was a useful entry into the market.
July 26: Randal Grichuk traded to Royals for RHP Andrew Hoffman
Denny Medley-Imagn Images
The second trade came down mid-game, resulting in Grichuk being removed from the game, saying his goodbyes in the dugout, and going to join the Royals. Grichuk isn’t a pure rental per se, but it’s highly unlikely that both sides agree to his mutual option at year’s end. Hoffman is a high strikeout reliever who made his major league debut this season. That Grichuk was traded for a bullpen piece was unsurprising, but Hoffman is a bullpen piece with late-inning potential, and someone who can contribute as soon as this season. In terms of getting value for the player, this might wind up being one of the best trades of the deadline.
July 31: Eugenio Suarez traded to Mariners for 1B Tyler Locklear, RHP Hunter Cranton, and RHP Juan Burgos
Photo by Ben VanHouten/Seattle Mariners/Getty Images
Suarez was the consensus top bat available according to most pundits, and the return here was a stark reminder that fans and writers do not always value players in the same way as executives. Mike Hazen’s account of how the trade was put together shows that. Firm offers were coming within the past few days, and once some were received, the Diamondbacks reached back out to the Mariners, who, according to Hazen, “came [after Suarez] from a much more aggressive standpoint.” Obviously, Hazen took the best deal that he had on the table, from his perspective. He didn’t acquire Locklear purposely to fill the first base position left vacant by dealing away Naylor, but that was an added bonus.
While it’s easy to look at Locklear’s numbers and the fact that he is positionally limited, it seems the Diamondbacks did not have better offers on the table prior to Suarez’s mini slump and his getting hit in the hand. Front offices are well aware of the streaky nature of Suarez’s production and weren’t going to give up the kind of package that some (including yours truly) thought he might fetch.
This was another underwhelming trade on the whole, but it did provide another option for filling the first base position as well as two more bullpen pieces, one who has already appeared in the major leagues. More depth, but no big-ticket pitching prospect.
July 31: Merrill Kelly traded to Rangers for LHP Kohl Drake, LHP Mitch Bratt, and RHP David Hagaman
Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
And then the clouds burst and watered the desert with rain, hopefully to flower forth in productive starting pitching. Merrill Kelly (already the second best pitcher to spend his entire career to this point with the Diamondbacks) was traded. That was a sad development, and further proof that this year did not go according to plan. But the return for Kelly exceeded any expectations. Drake, Bratt, and Hagaman were ranked 5th, 9th, and 13th in the Rangers’ system, and while none of them are consensus top 100 prospects, they are all starting pitching prospects, two of whom have AAA experience. Hazen expects that Drake and Bratt will be ready to contribute next year, adding important depth to a paper-thin starting rotation that will still be missing Corbin Burnes. Hagaman is farther away, but is a big-armed pitcher with a lot of potential.
This trade wasn’t the most surprising of the deadline, but it was the best in terms of setting up the team for 2026.
July 31: Shelby Miller and Jordan Montgomery traded to Brewers for player to be named later or cash considerations
Photo by Soeren Stache/picture alliance via Getty Images
Hazen had said that he would not make trades solely for the purpose of saving money. And he didn’t save a ton of money, as the Brewers will be picking up just $2 million of Montgomery’s salary, but given the choice between a lottery ticket and the savings in exchange for a pitcher still on the injured list, Hazen opted for the latter. It wasn’t addressed, but whether there will be a lottery ticket involved or just money will likely depend on how many appearances Miller is able to make.
This trade really has no impact on the present or the future, but it was surprising, and goes to show that every trade deadline can be full of surprises.
What These Trades Mean
Asked about his message to the fans, Hazen acknowledged the disappointment. “We’re exceptionally disappointed in where the season went…We just didn’t play well enough…The baseball decisions don’t always align with what the fans want to see, and I respect that, we understand that, and I don’t do that lightly.” Watching good baseball players and fan favorites like Eugenio Suarez and Merrill Kelly leave is not fun. It’s not fun for the fans and it’s not fun for the players and it’s not fun for the front office. The fact that these trades happened at all was because things had gone very, very wrong this season. And no matter how hard the team plays for the rest of the season, no matter who is on the field, the gap between where the Diamondbacks are and the postseason is just too great to make up.
But the returns gotten for these players show that the intention is to compete in 2026, and beyond. The starting rotation for now will feature a not-traded Zac Gallen and Anthony DeSclafani in addition to the trio of Brandon Pfaadt, Ryne Nelson, and Eduardo Rodriguez. But the rotation in 2026? That could feature two pitchers acquired today. And it would not be too surprising if 60% of the starting rotation in 2030 is comprised of players acquired at this deadline, between Ashton Izzi and the trio of arms from the Rangers.
And Hazen didn’t rule out a reunion with Merrill Kelly either, of course. And while Hazen could not speak about any specifics regarding discussions of a future reunion, he did acknowledge that some of the topics of conversation with Kelly “touched on…topics in and around those areas.”
Competing in 2026?
Photo by Kelsey Grant/Arizona Diamondbacks/Getty Images
There are multiple ways to grade a trade deadline, and while I’m generally loathe to assign grades to trades, I think the deadline as a whole can be graded (for now) in one way: how did it set up the team to compete next year? That was a big part of Hazen’s goal.
Apparent holes in next year’s team heading into the trade deadline were corner infield spots, right-handed bats, starting rotation, and bullpen. Not all of the holes were plugged, of course, and some of the acquisitions might prove unable to successfully fit where they are intended to go. But in the acquisition of Tyler Locklear, there’s a first baseman who has the potential to be an impact right-handed bat. While I’m not sold on Locklear, I won’t deny that his ceiling is a good replacement for Christian Walker. Replacing Christian Walker last offseason cost a controllable starting pitcher and a competitive balance pick. If Locklear does work out, replacing him this year is much cheaper. There are two potential rotation pieces. There are a plethora of bullpen options (and there are still some options in the Diamondbacks’ system for the bullpen, as well.)
Jordan Lawlar, when healthy, will be given the opportunity to replace Suarez at third base. That’s another right-handed bat and corner infielder.
It would be foolish to say that this deadline, by itself, has plugged the holes and set up the Diamondbacks to contend in 2026. But for the simple reason of getting players who might fill all the holes, the deadline has to be described as a smashing success from the perspective of 2026. Yes, there might have been chances to set the team up to be much better in 2028-2030, but that was not the goal. The goal is winning next year.
On the other hand, Hazen was unable to find a taker for Gallen. He received plenty of interest, but apparently no one made an offer that exceeded the expected value of draft pick compensation. Gallen will remain a member of the Diamondbacks, and (assuming continued health) receive a qualifying offer.
There’s also evaluation time for some of these players. Giving Locklear and Lawlar as much playing time as possible will help inform the necessary offseason strategy for Hazen. But that is another topic for another time.
This deadline should be a solid B+. It wasn’t the most exciting; the Diamondbacks didn’t get a top-100 prospect, but the Diamondbacks did acquire four of the top six or seven starting pitcher prospects in the system. That was a position of weakness, and it’s now been solidified. It’s now time to see what this group looks like on the field.