If D-backs deal, these are the guys they may get

The MLB trade deadline is still more than a month away, but reportedly that hasn’t stopped the L.A. Dodgers from entering into trade talks with the Miami Marlins for pitcher Ricky Nolasco, nor has the Dodgers’ last place status for that matter.

The Diamondbacks can’t compare the day-to-day operation of their organization to that of the Dodgers. The Dodgers are Arthur Bach. Drunk all day. Spending their cash like there is an endless supply.

However, an aggressive June maneuver for pitching from the Dodgers or anyone else could complicate matters for the Diamondbacks. Here’s why…

(1) Kevin Towers is a wait-and-see general manager

(2) There’s not going to be much starting pitching available on the trade market this summer

(3) There are numerous teams in contention with starting pitching needs, and most of them are big market clubs.

And (4) The Diamondbacks’ only glaring need is starting pitching and they don’t happen to be one of the aforementioned big market clubs.

Arizona is currently a first place team, despite the starting pitching being dreadful. Eighteenth in starter’s ERA, and this with Patrick Corbin boasting a 2.19 (4th best in the NL). The Diamondbacks are the only first place team in baseball that doesn’t have multiple starters with ERAs under 4.00. (The Pirates have 5!) And of course there’s that “no wins from a starter since June 5th” thing.

If Kevin Towers is looking for anything to help the club between now and July 31st, it has to be a starter. And if the Dodgers land Nolasco, that leaves one less veteran starter on a very thin market.

THE TRADE MARKET

HIGH-END ITEMS: Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels, Philadelphia.

You can forget about it. The Phillies claim they’re not trading either left-hander, and, even if they’re bluffing, a team that doesn’t have a player on the roster making over $10 million per season certainly isn’t trading for a pitcher making $30 mill per year.

NEXT SHELF: Jake Peavy, White Sox… Yovani Gallardo, Milwaukee… Matt Garza, Cubs

Let’s eliminate Garza. He’s a free agent at season’s end, he hasn’t shown any ability to stay healthy since leaving Tampa, and frankly he hasn’t been any more effective than the starters the Diamondbacks already have.

Jake Peavy is an interesting name. After all, he has Kevin Towers ties from their days together in San Diego, and you know how much Towers loves his ol’ Padres. (See Heath Bell at $9 mill per year). Peavy had a terrific bounce back season in 2012 and was averaging a strikeout per inning in 2013 before being sidelined with an injury. The right-hander is expected to be back just after the All-Star break and might fit nicely beside Corbin at the top of the rotation. However! He makes $14 mill per year and is signed through 2014. The White Sox would have to take a Brandon McCarthy-type contract in return to make the move financially palatable for the D-backs. And even then, Peavy remains a huge injury risk, especially at $14 mill.

Personally, I like the idea of Yovani Gallardo of Milwaukee. The 27-year-old right-hander is having a poor season by his standards, but he’s picked it up as of late. And every time he pitches against the Diamondbacks we get fed that stat about his having never lost at Chase Field. In fact, over the last three seasons, Gallardo is 3-0 with a 1.96 ERA in Arizona. Contractually, Gallardo is signed through 2014 with a $13 million club option for 2015. This season, the Brewers are paying Gallardo the same salary the D-backs are paying McCarthy. Next year, his salary jumps up to $11 mill, which would make him Arizona’s highest paid player. But if Milwaukee would take back Cabbage Patch Cahill and his $5 mill, terrible body, and overall lack of any desire to compete, I’d be willing to part with a prospect or two to grab a quality young arm with a built-in Mexican fan base.

ON THE CHEAP: Bud Norris, Houston or Kyle Kendrick, Philly

If the Phillies won’t move Lee or Hamels, what about Kyle Kendrick? The 28-year-old right-hander isn’t going to blow you away with his stuff, but he’s been a solid major league starter for the last year-and-a-half. In fact, he’s gone 16-8 since last year’s All-Star break with an ERA well under 4. And he doesn’t become a free agent until 2015.

Bud Norris from Houston is available, but apparently the Astros are asking for a lot in return for a pitcher who’s lost his fastball. 66 Ks in 95 innings this season.

AT THE DOLLAR STORE: Jeremy Bonderman, Seattle

Bet you forgot all about him. Who could blame you? He flamed out after a promising 2006 season in Detroit. He hadn’t even pitched since 2010. But he’s pitching now as part of Seattle’s rotation. And after a shaky first start, he’s posted four quality outings for the Mariners. Plus, he makes the league minimum.

The Diamondbacks are likely just browsing the trade market right now and Towers has never been an impulse buyer, but if the team intends to land a starting pitcher between now and the end of July they may not have the luxury of waiting for that last second deal. Boston, Texas, Baltimore and San Francisco are not only in the hunt this year, each team’s biggest need is starting pitching.

The Diamondbacks’ 2013 fortunes may not depend upon if they’re willing to make a trade before the deadline but when.

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