The Diamondbacks announced a series of roster moves today, with right-hander Merrill Kelly being placed on the 15-day injured list due to right calf inflammation, retroactive to June 25. They also optioned left-hander Joe Mantiply to Triple-A Reno. In corresponding moves, righties Kevin Ginkel and Justin Martinez were recalled from Reno.
At this point, it’s unclear how serious Kelly’s injury is, but it’s a notable loss for the club nonetheless. The Diamondbacks have a fairly top-heavy rotation with Kelly and Zac Gallen being the two most effective members. Gallen has an excellent 2.84 ERA on the year and Kelly isn’t far behind with a 3.22 mark. Then there’s a notable drop to the 4.31 ERA of Tommy Henry, the 4.97 of Ryne Nelson and the 7.82 of Zach Davies.
The Diamondbacks are leading the National League West but have a couple of clubs on their heels as each of the Dodgers and Giants are within three games. With the All-Star break now effectively two weeks away, they will have to forge ahead without Kelly for at least that long. Drey Jameson has been with the big league club in a long relief role and could perhaps step into the rotation. Brandon Pfaadt got some big league starts earlier this year but posted an 8.37 ERA in those before getting optioned back down. Konnor Pilkington is also on the 40-man but has been struggling in the minors this year.
As for Mantiply, he posted a 2.85 ERA last year and even got selected to the All-Star game but has taken a step back this year. He’s gone on the injured list a couple of times already, once due to left shoulder inflammation and another time for a right hamstring strain. Around those ailments, he’s tossed 15 2/3 innings with a 5.74 ERA. His peripherals are still pretty similar to last year’s as a 50.8% strand rate seems to be pushing his ERA up. Nonetheless, he now finds himself headed to Reno to get into a groove.
Martinez, 21, will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game. He served largely as a starting pitcher in the lower levels of the minors but required Tommy John surgery in 2021. After a long injury layoff and the minor leagues getting cancelled by the pandemic in 2020, he came back as a reliever last year. He tossed 38 innings across four different levels, finishing the year at Triple-A. He posted a 3.32 ERA in that time with an incredible 36.7% strikeout rate but 13% walk rate.
Despite the free passes, the club was intrigued enough to add him to the roster in November to prevent him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. This year, he’s been in Triple-A, tossing 28 innings thus far. He has a 4.18 ERA, striking out 29.7% of opponents but with an astonishing 21.1% walk rate. Despite the control issues, he was recently ranked the club’s #21 prospect at Baseball America and #12 at FanGraphs.
From All-Star to Reno: the Joe Mantiply saga.
I think the Diamondbacks and Cardinals match up well for a trade. Cardinals have rental starters and relievers which should be of interest. Cardinals could use Thomas or Fletcher need some center field help. Also Mantiply would be good too.
King
Yes there is a bit of a match, but I see several other clubs with better pitching options, both starters and relievers.
I don’t think any of the Cardinals’ pitchers would return Thomas, and probably not Fletcher, unless they packaged 2 top pitchers for Fletcher. I think the Dbacks sights are set a bit higher.
Thomas looks like a failed prospect at this point. He has potential but i don’t think he’s all that valuable. Fletcher little more proven little less potential personally I wouldn’t care which.
Montgomery is pitching well. Hicks is pitching well.
Are you a Diamondbacks fan? Hard to find a better pitcher than Montgomery at the deadline.
King
Yes, I’m a Dbacks fan.
Outsiders think that because Thomas, McCarthy and Josh Rojas were sent down to AAA they are failed prospects. Not true. The Dbacks have such tremendous depth that the AAA Reno club is thought of more in terms of an extension of the big league club, rather than a demotion to a lower level. The entire starting 8 at Reno are hitting over .300, as are several others. Yes, it is the extreme hitter friendly Pacific Coast League, but the depth is real and filled with quality, value and huge potential .
Fletcher, Rivera and Pavin Smith were called up from that Reno club and the Dbacks didn’t miss a beat. Then McCarthy and Thomas came back up and are both playing at an All-Star level after making mechanical adjustments at Reno.
Fletcher, Dominic Canzone and Kyle Lewis would all be upgrades on virtually every major league outfield. As would Rojas, Blaze Alexander at SS, and about 4 others. The Dbacks also have a couple of trade candidates on their current roster, including Emmanuel Rivera, Lourdes Gurriel and Pavin Smith.
So, with that much trade value available, the Dbacks are competitive for the Top available starters and Closers at this year’s trade deadline. They can and are willing to overpay and outbid other teams for these pitchers. Therefore, the Cardinals pitchers are fairly low on the Dbacks wish list.
I’m sure fletcher is very available. He’s not all that great of prospect and there’s multiple CF options for Arizona ahead of him.
It’s definitely going to be a sellers market with a lot of teams still in contention. Arizona has extra outfielders and needs pitching. 7-8 other teams are going to be looking at SP’s & there might be 10 teams selling at the deadline. Maybe.
Then you look at the Royals and A’s who have maybe 1 Sp (Blackburn) between them that a playoff contender could plug into a rotation. Won’t be cheap this year to buy:
Who do you think is available better than Montgomery? Hicks throws 103 and has been lights out lately. Again I don’t know who you think is available that’s better than those guys. And if you needed 2 starters you can have Montgomery and Flaherty both.
You can talk about how great the Diamondbacks system is but there are only so many places to play. Thomas has done nothing in the big leagues there is a decent chance he’s a bust. And Fletcher has a limited ceiling. Cardinals need help in center have since they traded Bader that’s why they would consider it but those guys are not sure things at all.
King
It’s too early to know which teams will be selling. Cardinals could get red hot and not be sellers.
So, I don’t know at this point which pitchers will be available. Nor do I know whether the Dbacks will target starters, Closers/relievers, or target both.
I’ve heard/read speculation about closers like Alex Lange of the Tigers, David Bednar of the Pirates. And about starters like Shane Bieber of the Guardians, Corbin Burnes of the Brewers, or Marcus Stroman of the Cubs. Again I don’t know if any of these teams will make these pitchers available, but I’m not convinced that what the Cardinals have available rise to the level of those speculative targets?
Scott
I don’t see the Tigers trading Lange they don’t need to.
Stroman could make sense but that’s probably the best starter available. Lot of competition for him.
Burnes and Bieber we will see. Cleveland doesn’t want prospects I wouldn’t think their farm is very deep. Milwaukee I think they sell next trade deadline not this one.
Thomas or Fletcher is barely anything. The Diamondbacks could deal one of them and not miss a thing. Lewis needs another shot you got McCarthy and of course Carroll and Gurriel too.
You make a trade for a guy like Stroman it’s gonna hurt. Thomas and Mantiply you wouldn’t miss much
Maybe they should bring Sherzer back.
@Scottaz recently updated farm system rankings have DBacks at #16. Yes they have some intriguing young talent, but as a whole their farm viewed as middle of the pack.
If my team was 47-32 I wouldn’t tell everyone how great the farm system was as if you can’t trade a guy like Thomas. I would want my team to make some moves to try and win it all. I don’t think Thomas or Fletcher add up to anything special in the end. Solid players maybe but again so what. Cardinals traded away Garcia, Arozarena, L Thomas, Grichuk, Piscotty and Bader. Probably forgetting someone too. So what? When you have a chance to win you gotta go for it.
King
That’s the interesting thing about this season for the Dbacks. They went into the season hoping their young guys could develop enough over the course of the season to be competitive at the end for the last WildCard spot. But they’ve surprised everyone by leading the Conference and one of the Top 5 teams in baseball.
The young position players have surprised, but the young pitchers are doing what was expected—they are inconsistent, show positive signs of development, only to regress badly. Two of the five pitchers (Nelson and Henry) seem to be starting to achieve their potential consistently recently. Jameson looks great at times, but has been moved to the bullpen for the season. Pfaadt looks to need more seasoning at AAA, but he is looking good again recently. Walston hasn’t made his debut yet, but is really making strides in his first taste of AAA.
But their development can’t be rushed and because the Dbacks have surprised, the Dbacks have switched to a win now philosophy and obviously need better pitching to successfully compete deep into the post-season.
Fortunately, the Dbacks have the assets and depth to be aggressive, and the Front Office makes smart moves. So pitchers will have to be significant upgrades and Dbacks are willing to overpay. If they can’t get their primary targets, they might flip to the Cardinals, but won’t overpay because they just aren’t significant enough upgrades.
After a few rough starts at AAA Reno, Martinez’ last 23 1/3 innings of work have been spectacular! With a .039 ERA, 5 saves, 31 Ks and opponents batting .167!
Not getting Thomas or Fletcher for a rental starter.
Sid
A rental starter plus 2 pen arms for Thomas and Mantiply that would be my proposal. Hicks and Stratton would he clear upgrades for Arizonas pen. Montgomery is the number 2 or 3 starter. That’s a lot of value
Look at MLB trade values they agree. Unlike fans they don’t have a bias.
If the Diamondbacks wanted ONeill that could also be arranged. ONeill could replace Gurriel next year lot of potential.
Cards
The Dbacks bullpen has 8 pitchers with ERAs in the 2’s or 3’s, so how are two pitchers with ERAs above 4.05 “clear upgrades”?
Dbacks do a hard pass on your proposal.
Hicks has pitched great recently he’s taken back over as closer. Montgomery had another good start today he’s also been good. Look at FIP the defense has been bad for the Cardinals. Stratton also good. These are quality players. I agree that Arizona is a bit ahead of schedule that’s why rentals make more sense.
That’s why rentals don’t make sense. Flaherty is interesting, but the only player on the cardinals that I think paying market value for is Arenado. Going forward, 3B is a weak spot in AZ. That trade probably won’t happen.
Pfaddt makes sense. But I’m guessing it will actually be Drey.
Looks like Mantiply’s salary will be divided in half. This subtraction from the roster will be a great addition for Reno.
I see what you did there!
Didn’t know the Diamondbacks were in the American League West! When did that happen?
Guess they decided they’re tired of playing the Dodgers
Dbacks are actually in the NL west. Unless I missed something
That’s my point!
More sloppy editing
Must be very painful for you on this free site.
Merrill Kelly, an athletic 34-year-old, is out with a blood clot. Same thing that 38-year-old Ian Kennedy had last July.
I have an hypothesis on how this happened, but those opinions are not allowed today in Soviet Amerika, and I don’t feel like typing a post just to have it get disappeared.
& yet we all should know you’re suggesting the vaccine!
@Greg athletes have always been more prone to blood clots due to strenuous activity and repetitive motion. There are countless studies that have been done on the matter long before Covid. Sorry to deflate your baseless hypothesis, but your opinion just does not jive with reality.
Arizona fans who do you think should take Kelly’s spot in the rotation?
Oscar
Brandon Pfaadt
And with that the Dback woes only begin to Mantiply
Subtracting Mantiply from the equation, while ultimately towards the greater good, really has the fan base split. You could say it’s multiplication by division.
As per mlb.com, Kelly has a blood clot in his right calf.