ESPN’s Bowden: Diamondbacks earn C- grade at trade deadline
Aug 3, 2016, 12:17 PM | Updated: 3:17 pm
Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Daniel Hudson throws against the Toronto Blue Jays during the eighth inning of an interleague baseball game, Wednesday, July 20, 2016, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
(AP Photo/Matt York)
The Diamondbacks appeared to be sellers as their record sank and the trade deadline neared. Despite making two sensible moves, the deadline came and went without much fanfare.
ESPN Insider’s Jim Bowden would actually call Arizona’s action less-than-impressive. He ranked the D-backs front office as having the 24th-best deadline in MLB and gave Tony La Russa, Dave Stewart and Co. a C-minus for their efforts.
Analysis: The Diamondbacks sold on Brad Ziegler and Tyler Clippard. Although they got quantity back, they didn’t get much quality.
For whatever it’s worth, Bowen gave the Yankees an A-plus and the Red Sox an A-minus for their active trade deadlines that included moves more substantial than their trades with the Diamondbacks.
To recap, Arizona dealt closer Brad Ziegler to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for pitcher Jose Almonte and infielder Luis Alejandro Basabe. While shipping off Ziegler’s expiring contract made sense, there was a fierce criticism of the trade within the MLB community. It doesn’t help that Almonte and Basabe, who are both short of their 21st birthdays, are currently at the Single-A level.
The D-backs also traded reliever Tyler Clippard days before the deadline. The Yankees shipped back pitcher Vicente Campos, who reported to Double-A Mobile.
Arizona also failed to find a taker for the expiring contract of reliever Daniel Hudson at the deadline despite reported interest.
La Russa said the quiet deadline was due to interest in players the D-backs wanted to keep as part of their core.
Maybe the most egregious move, in the eyes of Bowen, was not maximizing the return for Ziegler and or getting any on Hudson.
