What did the Diamondbacks’ NL Wild Card foes do at the trade deadline?

After a slow weekend of trade news — beyond Tarik Skubal — the activity really picked up on trade deadline Monday, and teams in the National League Wild Card picture, including the Arizona Diamondbacks, added to their teams.

Arizona entered the deadline tied for the second Wild Card spot with the Philadelphia Phillies, who helped get the ball rolling on Monday with trades for All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez and reliable left-handed reliever Brooks Raley.

The top NL Wild Card Chicago Cubs made a series of moves to beef up their pitching, while the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres are on the edge of the postseason bracket and decided to buy, as well.

The Diamondbacks traded for outfielder Lars Nootbaar from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Here is what the NL Wild Card contenders did at the deadline (big leaguers at time of trade in bold). Keep in mind, the D-backs have a four-game series against the Padres this week at Chase Field and play the Phillies, Miami Marlins and Cubs again this season.

Biggest deals NL Wild Card contenders made at the trade deadline

(AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Chicago Cubs (64-49)

– Acquired SP Clay Holmes and OF Tyrone Taylor from Mets for INF Jefferson Rojas

– Acquired SP Braxton Garrett from Marlins for 1B/OF Jonathon Long and RHP Jace Beck

– Acquired RP Ryan Zeferjahn from Angels for C Moise Ballesteros and RHP Mason McGwire

– Acquired SP Kevin Gausman from Blue Jays for OF Brett Bateman and INF Ty Southisene

Bottom line: With Chicago getting crushed by injuries in the rotation and bullpen, the need to add pitching depth was clear. Gausman had been a mainstay in Toronto for nearly five years, while Holmes got off to a terrific start this season before suffered a fractured leg. He is ready to come back and help the Cubs shortly after the deadline. It came at a high price, as the Cubs sent New York a top 100 prospect in Rojas. Zeferjahn gives them a high-octane arm for the back end of games. The Cubs have a top-five scoring offense and now a deeper pitching staff to contend with the big boys of the NL.

Arizona Diamondbacks (60-53)

– Acquired OF Lars Nootbaar from the Cardinals for RHP Daniel Eagen, LHP Sandro Santana and a player to be named later

Bottom line: The Diamondbacks tried to acquire multiple starting pitchers and did not get across the finish line, so they will rely on the returns of several arms off the injured list down the stretch. AZCentral.com’s Nick Piecoro reported that the D-backs had a deal in place for Holmes, but the Mets backed out. Nootbaar fills a need as a left-handed bat, although there will be some tricks finding playing time for a surplus of outfielders when Jordan Lawlar and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. come back. They filled a need, but the Diamondbacks were ultimately the least active NL Wild Card contender in deals done.

Philadelphia Phillies (60-53)

– Acquired 2B Luis Arraez and RP Caleb Kilian from Giants for RHP Ramon Marquez and RHP Marty Gair

– Acquired RP Brooks Raley from Mets for RHP Luke Gabrysh and OF John Spikerman

Bottom line: The Phillies are 16th in the league in runs scored despite a big-name top of the lineup. They are eighth in home runs but bottom 10 in batting average and on-base percentage. Enter Arraez, who is competing for the batting title with a .324 average. His arrival will create some awkwardness defensively, and it appears the Phillies are going to reshuffle their alignment by moving Bryce Harper back to the outfield for the first time since 2022, slide Alec Bohm to first base and move Bryson Stott to third. The lineup is improved, but the defense has real questions. Their bullpen is also bottom 10 in ERA, and two new arms add depth.

San Diego Padres (58-55)

– Acquired SP Robbie Ray from Giants for RHP Miguel Mendez and IF Joniel Hernandez

– Acquired SP Casey Mize and INF Gage Workman from Tigers for LHPs Kash Mayfield and Jackson Wolf

Bottom line: The Padres pulled from a farm system that they have depleted with trades over the years and squeezed out enough value to acquire two very good starting pitchers for a banged up rotation. Ray and Mize are both rentals, but they own a 3.08 and 2.70 ERA, respectively. The Padres are awaiting the returns of Nick Pivetta and Joe Musgrove from the injured list, a sort of inverse situation as the D-backs with external additions helping to alleviate the rotation before injured pitchers return. They did not add to a lineup that has heated up of late but are still 26th in OPS.

Miami Marlins (58-55)

– Traded C Liam Hicks to Rays for IF Brayden Taylor, RHP Jacob Kisting and IF Adrian Santana

– Traded SP Braxton Garrett to Cubs for 1B/OF Jonathon Long and RHP Jace Beck

– Acquired RP Victor Vodnik from Rockies for IF Connor Norby and RHP Aiden May

– Traded RP Lake Bachar to Pirates for RHP Brandan Bidois, SS Hyun Seung Lee and OF Brian Sanchez

Bottom line: The Marlins did a bit of buying and selling, leveraging talented rookie catcher Joe Mack to send off Hicks for prospects while trading away one reliever and adding another. The Marlins opted to hold onto potential trade candidates Sandy Alcantara, Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards, essentially keeping the team together aside from a few tweaks.

Pittsburgh Pirates (57-57)

– Acquired RP Luke Weaver from Mets for SS Sammy Stafura

– Acquired RP Camilo Doval from Yankees for C Omar Alfonzo and OF Luis Cruz

– Acquired RP Lake Bachar from Marlins for RHP Brandan Bidois, SS Hyun Seung Lee and OF Brian Sanchez

Bottom line: The Pirates are 20th in bullpen ERA and 24th in WHIP. So, they rebuilt their bullpen. Weaver is the big prize here with a 1.84 ERA, while Doval is a big arm who did not work out in New York but has been an effective closer in the past. They did not address the lineup despite having recently placed slugging outfielder Ryan O’Hearn on the IL. The lineup will get injured reinforcements back, notably rookie Konnor Griffin.

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