Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen: Ryan Waldschmidt was most asked about player at trade deadline

PHOENIX — The Arizona Diamondbacks bought at the trade deadline on Monday but were not willing to include certain young players from the major league roster in deals, most notably outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt.

General manager Mike Hazen told the Diamondbacks’ radio broadcast that Waldschmidt was probably the most asked about player in trade conversations, which was not a line he was willing to cross.

“He’s gonna be one of the best players in this organization for the next six years,” Hazen said. “He might not be six years of an All-Star, but he’s gonna be the an everyday, really good baseball player and we think could have an All-Star Game or two. He was probably our most asked player and so you have a decision to make. You rip that guy off your team and trade him for a rental or somebody that’s gonna be here for a year, year-and-a-half? It’s a tough call.”

Waldschmidt debuted this year as the top prospect in the farm system, and he has performed well after getting called back up last month (.385 average in 13 games entering Monday).

Hazen said there were deals that fell through because teams asked for Waldschmidt or relievers Brandyn Garcia and Juan Morillo, who have been excellent as young relievers.

Before going on the radio, Hazen said during his post-deadline press conference that he put essentially everyone in the farm system on the table, but the D-backs were just not able to get across the finish line on several deals that were close.

Hazen mentioned being in on Jose Soriano, a right-handed starter whom the Los Angeles Angels traded to the Toronto Blue Jays for Arjun Nimmala, a prospect ranked higher than anyone in Arizona’s system (per MLB Pipeline).

Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro also mentioned Casey Mize from Detroit and Clay Holmes of the New York Mets as pitchers the D-backs had interest in.

It was a frustrating result. The Diamondbacks landed a left-handed hitter in Lars Nootbaar to lengthen the lineup but wanted to add a pitcher to help a banged-up rotation, one that will get reinforcements off the injured list.

Michael Soroka is making a rehab start on Tuesday as he nears a return, while Corbin Burnes, Ryne Nelson and Zac Gallen are further behind — Arizona put Gallen on the 60-day IL on Monday, so he is out until September. Hazen said Gallen will probably be built out further than Burnes or Nelson, but getting them all back would provide depth and options for how to handle roles down the stretch of the season.

Until then, the Diamondbacks will have to do what they have done, and grind out enough wins to stay in the fight.

“I met with the team a month ago and I asked them to put us in a position to buy and we did buy,” Hazen said. “I’m not sure we bought to the level that they anticipated and maybe I had anticipated. But now we have a team here and we’re a good team and we’re sitting where we’re sitting and we’re right in the thick of this with all those guys coming back. I believe our best baseball is in front of us.”

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