It's no secret that the players of interest in the deal were Cahill and Parker.

Parker, at 23-years-old, has had an impressive start with the A's since being called up in April. In 2012 he has started eight games and is 2-2 with a 2.40 ERA.

He has given up just one run in 21 innings over his last three starts.

MLB Network analyst Matt Vasgersian told Arizona Sports 620's Burns and Gambo on Thursday that even though Parker is a highly rated prospect, it was a smart move for the Diamondbacks, who had plenty of other talent in the minors.

"The Diamondbacks (the past few draft cycles) have done such a great job stockpiling pitching," Vasgersian said. "You ask yourself ‘How can they trade Jarrod Parker?' Well, they can trade Jarrod Parker because they've got Trevor Bauer, they've got Wade Miley and probably a handful of other guys at the lower levels of the minors who we all may not be as familiar with, who they feel like can contribute."

Though reluctant to say so, Vasgersian did give the nod on who came out ahead to the A's.

"In terms of the immediate future, it looks like a great deal for both teams," Vasgersian said. "But maybe the A's get 51 percent approval to the 49 percent the Diamondbacks would get."

The advantage for the Diamondbacks comes with Cahill's immediate availability and experience. As a 24-year-old starter, Cahill has already seen success in the majors.

He was ninth in the Cy Young voting in 2010, while many believe he could return to that level in the future.

Cahill has also been a viable starter this season with a 3-5 record, a 3.45 ERA and 47 strikeouts. His best effort as a D-back came in his last start, a complete-game shutout he tossed against the Padres on Sunday.

He has been compared by many to former Diamondback pitcher Brandon Webb. Both have a very similar style, working for ground balls instead of forcing strikeouts.

Parker and Cahill are expected to match-up against each other for the first time on Saturday, in game two of a three game series.

With both players finding success in their early careers, the ultimate victor of the trade is still undecided. Saturday should provide just a small sample of what Diamondback and A's fans can look forward to witnessing for years to come.

"It's an awesome match-up," Vasgersian said. "But it's way too early to put any definitive punctuation marks on that deal."