Diamondbacks risk falling behind after anticlimactic trade deadline

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been building up momentum throughout July into Monday’s trade deadline, and with an opportunity to provide even more a jolt, the deadline was more of a whimper.

Arizona acquired St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar for a package that includes pitching prospect Daniel Eagen. In terms of direct needs for the D-backs in the starting rotation or in the batting order at designated hitter and first base, there was no followup from general manager Mike Hazen.

Arizona Sports Diamondbacks reporter Alex Weiner and editor Kellan Olson break down the anticlimactic afternoon from Chase Field.

Kellan Olson: Alex! This was not a good day for the D-backs! I’d go as far as saying this was a whimper on their end, and as for the National League Wild Card race, they are now definitively behind their competition.

We will get to what else transpired in relation to the deadline, but to focus on the D-backs, the Nootbaar trade lacks much juice to provide to the lineup. And perhaps even more relevant to the conversation is the price they paid, a prospect in Eagen rated as Arizona’s best pitcher in the system by Fangraphs and second best by MLB Pipeline, all for an OK righty-focused bat under control for just another season-and-a-half.

What do you make of this trade in a vacuum before we get to the other needs not filled and what do you anticipate Nootbaar’s role being in the outfield logjam?

Alex Weiner: Hello, Kellan!

Yes, clearly the Diamondbacks did not accomplish everything they set out to at this year’s deadline.

Nootbaar has been a solid player throughout his career who does a lot of what the Diamondbacks covet from quality at-bats to working walks and getting on-base. He is not the slugger who will give the Diamondbacks a difference-making power threat, but he should help create more run-scoring chances against right-handed pitching.

As for where they will play him, Nootbaar can handle all three outfield spots, but left field is where he has spent most of his time this year. He and Max Kepler will gets reps out there, likely while the other starts at designated hitter against righties. What that means when Jordan Lawlar and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. get back is something they will have to piece together since they do have an outfield surplus now.

The price was high, as was the case for many trades in a seller’s market at this deadline. Eagen has been on a roll in Double-A Amarillo after a tough April after he was dominant last season in High-A Hillsboro. For an organization without many top-end pitching prospects, that is a tough piece to part with, but the D-backs had to do something to help a team that fought to be buyers. Did they do enough to keep up with the other Wild Card teams is another question.

Kellan Olson: I see a lot of cracks left that didn’t get patched up.

Arizona in July ranked 18th in OPS from both its first basemen and designated hitters, so there was a slight revival there, but the D-backs are foolish to rely on this group to produce enough in the 5-9 part of the order. And to be clear, Nootbaar will have to be at his best to be something definitely better than what Arizona’s got, and he hasn’t been at that level since 2024. As for the looming returnees from the injured list, Gurriel has a .669 OPS since the start of 2025, and even if Lawlar stays healthy, we are (rightfully) excited off a 12-game sample size.

The rotation now becomes incredibly fragile. Either another setback or understandable regression from Corbin Burnes or Michael Soroka would be a killer, not only in the race but for the postseason. The health of Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt and Merrill Kelly is now even more crucial too. When it comes to reliability for the stretch run and in the playoffs, there is a large gap between Rodriguez and everyone else, the guy who had a 5.02 ERA in his first two D-backs seasons.

Don’t forget about the bullpen! The one now without a certified closer! If the closer committee wouldn’t have gone as smoothly as it has the last week, we definitely would have seen more urgency. They never work long term, and again, it’s an issue for both the next eight weeks and in October too. Justin Martinez can’t be expected to be not only absolutely electric right away but also out there back-to-back nights.

Two more questions for you, sir! Which of those three holes are you the most concerned about? And do you still see the D-backs as one of the three best teams in the wild card race, or do you agree with me that they’ve fallen behind now?

Alex Weiner: The starting pitching is the top concern.

The bullpen does not have a set closer but is deep and has been a strength for most of the year.

The offense has its issues, but the biggest question is whether we will see the best version of of Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo or Ketel Marte. That was always going to be the biggest difference-maker, whether they added another bat or not. The D-backs need some combination of their big three to help carry the load.

The Diamondbacks were in on starting pitching at the deadline, they tried and could not get across the finish line on several arms who could have really made a big difference for an injured rotation. Instead, some of their direct NL Wild Card competitors scooped up those arms, such as Robbie Ray and Casey Mize going to San Diego or Clay Holmes and Kevin Gausman landing with the Cubs.

You’re right, there is a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of Rodriguez, Pfaadt and Kelly and a hope that pitchers coming off the injured list will add something, which is a hard place to live. Soroka is the most important of that group simply since he is the closest to returning. But the D-backs will continue needing youngsters to eat innings in high-stakes games.

As for the Diamondbacks’ place in the pecking order, their competition improved more than they did, that’s for sure. The Cubs are the top wild card and should remain there. The Phillies have been vulnerable of late but have the superior starting rotation and similar needs for their stars to be great.

The Padres getting better is a big deal, as it looked like they could go either way (or both) in buying or selling before they won eight of nine games entering Monday. They are also expecting to get key arms off the IL (Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove), who will fill in alongside their new additions in contrast to Arizona. The Padres have not had a great season, but they heated up at an optimal time, like the Diamondbacks.

The good news for Arizona is that the D-backs and Padres play each other six more times after their matchup on Monday. It is the most important individual matchup for the rest of the season.

Kellan Olson: Two things before we go.

One, you are spot on and this puts everything on Carroll, Marte and Perdomo. They should be able to carry this team, but they are also coming off an awful July in which all three were bad. Perdomo’s .657 OPS led the way, with Carroll (.610) and Marte (.603) lagging behind as well. All three are having “good” seasons. All three of them aren’t just “good” baseball players. If this season fails, it will be because of them.

Two, the biggest weakness of the Hazen era has been the development and scouting within the farm system. With all the complaining about the Dodgers getting Tarik Skubal, the only reason they were able to do so is because of their stellar prospect pool, which is mostly due to their organizational excellence and not their budget (sorry). The D-backs not having enough ammo for some of the bigger names on Monday was their own fault, not a matter of circumstance.

On top of the lack of buzz and hype within the D-backs system, once those prospects get to the show, there is a real lack of follow-through. Look through their list of top-10 prospects each year since 2019, two years into the Hazen era, and you will see a whole lot of whiffs. Even if you’re a fan of the Hazen regime like myself, it does make you reconsider how good he has been the last decade when you use that lens to evaluate him.

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