D-backs CBO La Russa: ‘We are buyers’ at MLB trade deadline
Jul 22, 2015, 12:40 PM | Updated: 12:45 pm
It’s a buyer’s market for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
D-backs chief baseball officer Tony La Russa told Doug & Wolf of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Wednesday that the team will be buyers, whether it’s next week or after the season.
“We will make a move, at the trade deadline or this winter,” La Russa said. “We want to make a move that will make us better now and in (20)16, ’17. From that point of view, we are buyers.”
Entering play Wednesday, the D-backs sit at 43-49, 8.5 games out of first place in the National League West and seven games out of the second wild card spot.
La Russa said the organization is already in discussions with other teams to swing a deal.
“There are rumored, and we’ve had some conversations about position players or pitchers that fit that criteria,” La Russa said. “Our organization is deep enough now that we can make a move.”
Willingness to make a move, however, does not mean the trade deadline is a time to be foolish.
“We’re not going to make a trade just to be better in (20)15,” La Russa said. “It’s going to be a wait and see. I don’t have a crystal ball.”
According to CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman, some of the top D-backs trade candidates who could be moved include second baseman Aaron Hill, right-hander Addison Reed, starter Jeremy Hellickson or lefty specialist Oliver Perez.
