ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Report: Diamondbacks might not be done buying
After acquiring J.D Martinez from the Detroit Tigers earlier this month, the Arizona Diamondbacks could be in the buying mode before Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline.
According to Fanrag’s Jon Heyman’s 20 most intriguing trade deadline situations, the Diamondbacks have been linked to possible trades with Tigers catcher Alex Avila, Miami Marlins relief pitcher AJ Ramos and San Diego Padres relief pitcher Brad Hand.
Heyman said Avila is having a nice year but the market isn’t big for any position players. He expects the Tigers to find a taker by Monday, and adds the Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs and Colorado Rockies have shown interest in him. Heyman’s best bet is Avila will land in Colorado or Arizona.
The Diamondbacks did pick up catcher John Ryan Murphy on Thursday from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Double-A left handed pitcher Gabriel Moya. The Diamondbacks quickly optioned the 26-year-old Murphy to Triple-A Reno.
As for Ramos, Heyman said the Marlins will trade him with the Diamondbacks, Cubs, Rockies, Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox in the mix.
When it comes to Hand, Heyman said the Padres need to find the best deal they can for their All-Star lefty. He adds that the Los Angeles Dodgers especially want a lefty and the Padres know their farm system. However, there’s a big group of teams in the market for relievers including the Diamondbacks, Rockies, Rays, Red Sox, Cubs, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers and the Washington Nationals. Heyman’s best bet is Hand will end up with the Dodgers.
The Diamondbacks entered play on Friday 1.5 games ahead of the Rockies for the top spot in the National League Wild Card standings. Arizona struggled a bit after the All-Star break by getting swept by the Atlanta Braves before rebounding to take 2 of 3 games from the Cincinnati Reds.
During this time, the Diamondbacks pulled the trigger to get Martinez in exchange for three prospects. Since arriving in Arizona, Martinez has hit .250 with four home runs including Thursday’s grand slam that gave Arizona a 4-0 win over St. Louis.
