The Athletic: D-backs want to maximize trade value of their assets

After finishing the season with just two wins above .500, the Arizona Diamondbacks could look to shake things up with some offseason trades.

D-backs general manager Mike Hazen has been proactive to start the offseason, submitting qualifying offers to both center fielder A.J. Pollock and pitcher Patrick Corbin. Still, the organization is left with plenty of questions to be answered over the course of the offseason.

Is it time to move on from Zack Greinke? How much money is the front office willing to spend on free agents? Is this the beginning of a rebuild or is Hazen trying to push back into the playoffs?

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that the Diamondbacks have not looked into a deal to send both Goldschmidt and Greinke in a package deal.

“The D-Backs, if they trade Goldschmidt, want to maximize his value; they have not considered or discussed any Goldschmidt-Greinke deal, sources said. Greinke, 35, is owed $95.5 million over the next three seasons, plus annual $3 million payments on his signing bonus. Goldschmidt, owed $14.5 million in his walk year, would command much more alone.”

Hazen doesn’t seem to be in any rush to move off of Greinke’s contract without a sizeable return. Goldschmidt remains a crucial member of the D-backs’ core, so he’ll remain valuable to the organization for the foreseeable future.

It would be difficult for Arizona to return valuable assets in a Greinke trade because of his enormous long-term contract.

Greinke is owed $104.5 million in the second half of the six-year contract he inked in 2016. The large sum of money owed could pose financial issues going forward, especially if Pollock and Corbin accept their qualifying offers and add an extra lump of cash onto the team’s payroll.

If Hazen is interested in cash flexibility, the prospect of trading Greinke may be on the table. The idea of attaching Goldschmidt in a deal to sweeten the deal could entice potential suitors but would also leave a large gap in the D-backs’ rotation.

From the beginning of September to the end of the season, Arizona won 8-of-27 games, effectively ruining their chances of making the playoffs. Whether it’s out of necessity or strategy, the D-backs may be poised to make some offseason trades to retool the roster and change the direction of the franchise.