Diamondbacks stand pat in ESPN’s post-deadline power rankings
Aug 6, 2018, 3:59 PM
Arizona Diamondbacks' Eduardo Escobar watches his double during the ninth inning of the team's baseball game against the San Diego Padres Saturday, July 28, 2018, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
The MLB Trade Deadline has come and gone.
The Arizona Diamondbacks were clearly not loafing around when it came to deals, acquiring Eduardo Escobar in a pre-trade deadline move before adding Brad Ziegler and Jake Diekman to shore up the team’s bullpen.
But how did their midseason moves change where they stand among the rest of MLB?
According to ESPN, not much at all, as the D-backs found themselves at the same No. 8 they were at in the last edition of their power rankings.
You could accuse the Snakes of settling for adding complementary players at the deadline, but getting Eduardo Escobar to man third base now that Jake Lamb is out for the season has significant follow-on benefits — such as freeing Daniel Descalso to play elsewhere — and relievers Brad Ziegler and Jake Diekman provide them with the kind of depth to ensure an injury or two doesn’t undermine a unit with the second-best bullpen ERA in baseball.
Depth would be a good word for the D-backs’ latest moves, but there is also some impact in those depth moves.
Sure, Escobar provides immediate relief with Lamb’s injury, but he also adds some pop to the middle of the order that Lamb was not providing. That impact has already been felt in Escobar’s brief time in Arizona. Through seven games, Escobar is hitting .333 with four RBI, two doubles and five runs scored.
The two relievers’ specific qualities as pitchers bring a uniqueness to the D-backs bullpen.
Diekman gives the D-backs a power lefty that doesn’t have a preference to either handedness while using a mid-90s fastball and slider.
Ziegler, on the other hand, has his signature low-throwing delivery from the right side that has long-term success in the majors.
Despite the D-backs being tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West prior to Monday’s action, the Dodgers ranked fourth in the power rankings. With the additions of shortstop Manny Machado and second baseman Brian Dozier, the Dodgers drastically improved their middle infield.
The Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, New York Yankees, Dodgers and Chicago Cubs ranked out the top five spots.
