Ain’t No Fang Podcast: Trades we’d like to see the Diamondbacks make

The MLB trade deadline this year is August 2, which gives teams only a few weeks to make changes to their squads. Here in Arizona, the Diamondbacks don’t appear to be in playoff contention. Will they be sellers at the deadline? Buyers? A little of both?

Here are four – fairly reasonable – trades that we’d like to see the D-backs make this season:

David Peralta for Ben Rortvedt or Kyle Higashioka of the New York Yankees

David Peralta’s story is nothing short of remarkable in Arizona. A former pitcher turned outfielder with a .282 career batting average and a gold glove. But at age 34 (almost 35), it might be time to let the young guys roam the outfield. The Yankees are looking for a left-handed bat in their outfield, and while Andrew Benintendi might be the guy they want, I’m guessing the asking price for Peralta will make more sense for them. I doubt the D-backs could get decent prospects in return for Peralta, so why not do a 1-for-1 trade? The Yanks caught lightning in a bottle with Jose Trevino at catcher. The All-Star has three years of arbitration left, so New York can utilize him for a while. That leaves Rortvedt and Higashioka as a surplus behind the plate. Rortvedt has five years of control after this season, which might be the exact reason why the Yankees wouldn’t let him go. But Higashioka, age 32, might be a good option for Arizona. In 2021 he had the 14th most runs saved with pitch framing in the entire league. I’m also just not sold on the catcher situation in the desert. – Steve Zinsmeister

Madison Bumgarner for salary relief… if you can

In the offseason before the 2020 season, the D-backs gave Madison Bumgarner a 5-year, $85 million dollar deal. We are now in year three of that contract and the D-backs still aren’t close to making the playoffs. If a team is willing to take on a good chunk of the remaining two and a half years of Bumgarner’s contract, Mike Hazen should jump at the opportunity. One team that could make sense – and could afford it – is Bumgarner’s former squad, the San Francisco Giants. The Giants are currently one game out of the third N.L. Wild Card spot and could use some help in their starting rotation. Bumgarner’s ERA sits at 3.83, while San Francisco only has two starters with ERAs lower than 4. The Giants would be able to afford a good amount of Bumgarner’s remaining contract, while also being able to sell MadBum’s return to the Bay Area to their fans. A legend returns home. The return Arizona would get for Bumgarner would probably be minimal, maybe a low level prospect, but it would be mostly about getting off most of the remaining $37 million owed to Bumgarner over the next two seasons. – Cody Fincher

Brandon Pfaadt, Slade Cecconi, Dominic Canzone and Stone Garrett for Paul Blackburn of the Oakland Athletics

“But Steve! Why would the Diamondbacks be buyers at the deadline?” Well, for starters, Mike Hazen loves controllable young players. Blackburn is 28 years old and has three years of arbitration left after this season. Honestly, I have no idea if the A’s would want to move Blackburn, and I have no clue if this package of prospects would get it done. But it might be smart for a team that is in a rebuild to bring in multiple prospects who are all in the upper levels of the minor leagues. The Diamondbacks have a plethora of starting pitchers at Amarillo and Reno, as well as outfielders galore. They can afford to move off of two from each position, in order to get a solid piece for their rotation for years to come. Blackburn may be an all-star this season, but this is his breakout year, suggesting the price shouldn’t be much steeper than this. While the rest of the league is trying to poach Frankie Montas from Oakland, the D-backs should inquire on Blackburn. – Steve Zinsmeister

Dominic Fletcher, Levi Kelly and a low-level prospect for Trevor Rogers of the Miami Marlins

Arizona getting a pitcher from the Marlins? Where have we heard this before? Mike Hazen has a history of trading with Miami (Zac Gallen and Caleb Smith). Trevor Rogers is having a down 2022 after a successful 2021. This season, he is 4-8 with a 5.42 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. The Marlins are loaded with young starting pitchers so it’s possible that they would be willing to part with Rogers, despite the fact that he had a good 2021 season. The D-backs will presumably have a couple rotation spots up for grabs after this season and Rogers would be a long-term play in a trade as he is under team control for the next four seasons. This could also be a reason for Miami to keep him. The Marlins could use another outfielder who is ready to make the leap to the majors. Canzone could be that guy. He is currently in Triple-A Reno and has hit a combined .273 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI between Reno and Double-A Amarillo this year. Levi Kelly has struggled a bit in Double-A the past two seasons, but he is a young arm with a mid-90’s fastball that could be enticing. If this trade happens, it could be a solid move for the D-backs, if Rogers returns to his 2021 form. – Cody Fincher