- Zac Gallen was removed from yesterday’s start due with what the Diamondbacks described as right hamstring tightness. He’ll have an MRI done today. The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan provides video of the pitch that took Gallen out of the game. It’s yet another setback for Gallen in what was supposed to be a breakout season. He missed the beginning of the season with a hairline fracture in his forearm, then went back on the injured list for another 39 days with an elbow sprain. Speculatively speaking, another IL stint appears likely here. Especially given the state of Arizona’s season, they are likely to be cautious with Gallen. When has has been healthy, he’s been effective, making eight starts with a 3.69 ERA/3.75 FIP in 72 innings with a strong 27.3 percent strikeout rate, slightly high 10.7 percent walk rate, and 44.6 percent groundball rate.
Diamondbacks Rumors
Athletics Acquire Sam Moll From Diamondbacks
The Athletics announced they’ve acquired reliever Sam Moll from the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash considerations. Moll was not on the Arizona 40-man roster, so he’ll serve as high minors bullpen depth with the A’s for now.
It’s something of a homecoming for Moll, who appeared in eleven games for Oakland back in 2017. That marks the extent of his major league experience to date. The left-hander has a much lengthier track record at Triple-A, where he’s logged parts of five seasons and pitched to a 4.42 ERA across 152 2/3 innings.
Moll signed a minors pact with the D-Backs in January. He’s spent the year with Triple-A Reno, working to a 5.82 ERA with a strong 29.7% strikeout rate but a very high 14.9% walk percentage.
Report: D-backs Telling Teams Ketel Marte Won’t Be Traded
Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte will be one of the most coveted names on this summer’s trade market, but unlike impending free agents Eduardo Escobar and Asdrubal Cabrera, Marte is far from a lock to be traded. To the contrary, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the D-backs have plainly told multiple clubs that Marte won’t be traded. It’s always possible there’s some posturing in such statements, and a large enough offer can make any team consider moving even the most “untouchable” of players. Still, it’s telling that to this point, Arizona apparently hasn’t seemed particularly inclined to listen.
In that same vein, D-backs assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye spoke with the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro about the team’s general approach at the deadline. Broadly speaking, Sawdaye expresses reluctance to trade any long-term, core pieces (e.g. Marte) while also noting that there could be “different dynamics at play in the offseason than there might be in the next three or four weeks.”
Just who the Diamondbacks consider to be core pieces can be debated to an extent, but Marte, who is signed through 2024, is clearly at the forefront of that group. Right-hander Zac Gallen is controlled through the 2025 season, while catcher Carson Kelly is controlled through ’24 and infielder Josh Rojas through ’26. Lefty Caleb Smith, who has pitched quite well since moving into the rotation last month, is perhaps more attainable given that’s controlled through the 2023 campaign.
While Marte is currently on the injured list thanks to a strained hamstring, it’s nevertheless been a brilliant season for the versatile 27-year-old. A switch-hitter capable of playing second base or anywhere in the outfield, Marte is out to a .370/.419/.556 start with four homers and 13 doubles through 148 plate appearances. He’s walked at a respectable (albeit slightly below-average) 8.1 percent clip while striking out at a 14.2 percent rate that is nearly 10 percent lower than the league average. This season isn’t a random outlier, either; Marte slashed .329/.389/.592 in a full season back in 2019 and has combined for a very strong .302/.362/.507 line in his past 1551 plate appearances dating back to 2018.
Marte’s play alone is enough to make him one of MLB’s most sought-after trade candidates, but the contract extension he signed prior to the 2018 campaign has sent his trade value through the roof. That five-year contract guarantees Marte $24MM in total and also includes a pair of club options valued at $10MM (2023) and $12MM (2024).
Those yearly salaries make Marte affordable enough for even small-market clubs, and the $4.8MM annual value is enormously appealing to clubs who find themselves in the vicinity of the luxury-tax barrier. To this point in the season, Marte has been speculatively linked to both New York clubs at length, though there aren’t really any contending clubs who couldn’t find a way to work Marte into their lineup and payroll.
Sawdaye’s comments, while somewhat vague, do suggest that the D-backs will be a bit more open to exploring trades of this magnitude (though not necessarily Marte himself) in the offseason. Trades of controllable, high-end players are typically complex in nature — the sort that teams are reluctant to rush while simultaneously juggling other trade negotiations (as the D-backs will be doing this month with Escobar, Cabrera, Merrill Kelly, David Peralta and others). A wider base of teams also figures to inquire over the winter, as current rebuilders and/or non-contenders look to change their fortunes in advance of the 2022 campaign.
As always, this sort of topic is one that shouldn’t be addressed in absolutes. Even the best and most valuable players in the game are only “untouchable” until the right return is offered. It’s notable that the D-backs aren’t planning to actively shop Marte themselves, though, and seems likely that an interested party would need to approach the Diamondbacks with a particularly sizable offer to even get talks rolling. Regardless of their current stance, other clubs will surely try to sway the Arizona front office’s mindset in the four weeks between now and the July 30 trade deadline — and if that doesn’t bear fruit, we can probably expect an offseason full of rumblings on the Ketel Marte front.
Multiple Teams Now Showing Interest In Eduardo Escobar
July 2: While a deal sending Escobar to the ChiSox was in the works recently, Heyman tweets that multiple other clubs jumped into the mix this week and began showing interest, which has slowed the process. An eventual Escobar trade still feels inevitable, given his status as a pending free agent on MLB’s worst club.
June 28: The White Sox and Diamondbacks have been discussing a potential Eduardo Escobar deal for the past week, and it seems as though talks could be accelerating. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, who initially reported the talks between the two sides, suggests in his latest notes column that the D-backs are “on the verge” of starting a sell-off that will begin with an Escobar trade. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman tweets this morning that the two sides have made “progress” in a trade that would send Escobar from the D-backs to the ChiSox — the organization that originally signed Escobar out of Venezuela back in 2006.
Escobar is a sensible target for a Sox club that has lost Nick Madrigal for the season and now faces a notable hole at second base. The 32-year-old Escobar has spent more time at third base in recent years but has logged 227 innings at second base in 2021 and carries 849 career innings at the position. He’s also emerged as a reliable source of power and, over the past six weeks, been on a tear at the plate.
The switch-hitting Escobar fell into a considerable slump in early May, with his OPS bottoming out at .655 on May 14. In 152 plate appearances since that time, he’s mashed at a .306/.342/.563 clip with 10 homers, five doubles and a triple. That hot streak has boosted his season batting line to a respectable .253/.298/.481 and bumped his 2021 home run total up to 17. Escobar’s walk rate is down to 6.1 percent — a drop of some note from its 8.2 percent peak in 2018 — and he’s striking out at a career-high 22 percent clip. That’s still below the league average in today’s brand of strikeout-centric baseball, however.
Escobar is earning $7.5MM in 2021 — the final season of a three-year, $21MM contract extension he signed with Arizona in lieu of his first trip to the free agent market back in 2018. There’s still about $3.9MM yet to be paid out on that salary between now and season’s end. While rental players aren’t always ideal for contending clubs, it’s a rather sensible route for the Sox to take with regard to their infield needs. Yoan Moncada is locked in as the long-term answer at third base in Chicago, and the White Sox expect Madrigal back in 2022.
If a deal does ultimately get pushed across the finish line, Escobar would figure to be the first of multiple additions for a White Sox team that is in first place despite several injuries to key contributors. Eloy Jimenez hasn’t played in a game this season after suffering a ruptured pectoral tendon during a Spring Training game, and Luis Robert has been out since early May with a Grade 3 hip flexor strain. Fellow outfielders Adam Eaton and Adam Engel, meanwhile, are on the shelf owing to hamstring strains — the second of the season in Engel’s case.
As for the D-backs, Escobar is one of many veteran pieces who could change hands between now and the July 30 trade deadline. Asdrubal Cabrera, another pending free agent, seems all but assured to move. Outfielder David Peralta and right-hander Merrill Kelly are both affordably signed through the 2022 season. Backup catcher Stephen Vogt and reliever Joakim Soria aren’t having their best seasons, but they’re both impending free agents with solid track records and reasonable $3.5MM salaries. Ketel Marte, of course, is the Diamondbacks’ premier trade chip, as he’s controlled all the way through the 2024 season. That said, he’s also dealing with a hamstring issue and is undergoing additional imaging today as the team continues to evaluate that injury.
Diamondbacks Trade Tim Locastro To Yankees
The Yankees and Diamondbacks announced an agreement on a trade sending outfielder Tim Locastro from Arizona to New York in exchange for minor league right-hander Keegan Curtis.
Locastro, 28, is one of the fastest players in the Majors and gives the Yankees a potential outfield option, though he’s in the midst of a rough year at the plate. After slashing .290/.395/.464 in 82 plate appearances with the D-backs in 2020, Locastro is hitting just .178/.271/.220 in 133 trips to the plate so far in 2021.
Overall, the fleet-footed Locastro a career .234/.339/.324 hitter who has gone 31-for-34 in stolen base attempts. Locastro strikes out at a below-average clip but doesn’t walk as much as one might expect; rather, the source of his OBP is a penchant for getting plunked (as explored at length and in entertaining fashion in one of the many indispensable videos at Foolish Baseball). For a player with Locastro’s speed, getting to first base by any means necessary is particularly valuable, as he’s always a threat to swipe a base.
It’s not the impact move most Yankees fans would hope to see with the their first move of deadline season, but Locastro gives the club a strong glove and some needed depth. Aaron Hicks has already been lost for the season, and fellow outfielder Clint Frazier is now undergoing testing after exiting last night’s game due to dizziness. Locastro can still be optioned for the remainder of the 2021 season and is controllable through the 2024 campaign via arbitration.
For the D-backs, Locastro figures to be the first of several players traded between now and July 30. They’ve been MLB’s worst club by a wide margin and are generally expected to be willing to listen on veteran players as they look to restock the farm system.
The 25-year-old Curtis, while not regarded as one of the Yankees’ top prospects, does give the Snakes an interesting arm to add to the upper levels of their system. Since being selected in the 22nd round of the 2018 draft, Curtis has tallied 65 2/3 innings out of the bullpen and pitched to a 3.29 ERA across three levels in the Yankees’ minor league ranks. He’s currently at the Double-A level, where he’s posted a 3.94 ERA while punching out 27 of the 69 batters he’s faced (39.1 percent) against seven walks (10.1 percent).
Lindsey Adler of The Athletic (Twitter link) first reported the terms of the agreement.
Kole Calhoun Sent For MRI On Hamstring
- Kole Calhoun might have suffered a setback in his recovery from left hamstring surgery. The Diamondbacks outfielder’s minor league rehab assignment was recently halted, as he was sent back to Phoenix to undergo an MRI after feeling something in the hamstring while attempting to dodge a hit-by-pitch, writes Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. It’s been something of a lost season for the veteran, who has been limited to 51 plate appearances by injuries. If healthy, Calhoun would be an obvious trade candidate for the last-place Diamondbacks. The 33-year-old hit a strong .292/.333/.479 in 2020 and is in the final guaranteed season of his two-year, $16MM contract with the organization. Calhoun’s deal comes with a $9MM club option (or a $2MM buyout) for 2022.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/28/21
Some minor news and notes from around baseball:
- Right-handed pitcher Chris Smith announced his retirement this afternoon (on Twitter). Smith appeared in the big leagues in 2017, tossing five innings over four games with the Blue Jays. He spent parts of five seasons in the minors. The 32-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Tigers last year, but he was released after the season was canceled. MLBTR wishes him the best in his future endeavors.
- The Brewers announced that they’ve acquired minor league outfielder Matt Lipka from the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash considerations. He has been assigned to Triple-A Nashville. The 29-year-old was selected by the Braves with the 35th overall pick way back in 2010, but he has yet to make the majors. Lipka has spent parts of four seasons at Triple-A, and he’s been especially productive there in 2021. Through 118 plate appearances with the D-Backs’ affiliate in Reno, the right-handed hitting Lipka has compiled a .333/.393/.505 line with a pair of home runs. He was not on the Arizona 40-man roster, so he’ll serve as non-roster organizational depth in the Milwaukee system.
Diamondbacks Place Ketel Marte On Injured List
The Diamondbacks announced they’ve placed center fielder Ketel Marte on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 27, with a left hamstring strain. Righty Humberto Castellanos has been recalled from Triple-A Reno to take his place on the active roster.
Marte left last Tuesday’s game with hamstring tightness. After resting for three days, he attempted to return to action on Saturday. Marte almost immediately aggravated the injury upon his return, pulling up while jogging out a first-inning single. He departed Saturday’s game and was sent for further testing today.
There’s no reason for the Diamondbacks to take any chances with their franchise player. At 22-57, any hope Arizona had of competing this season has long since gone out the window. That’s through no fault of Marte, who has a fantastic .370/.419/.556 line through 148 plate appearances.
Marte’s performance and the D-Backs place in the standings has led to some speculation he’d be a potential midseason trade candidate. That never seemed especially likely, though. Marte is under affordable team control through 2024, and Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen has pushed back against the notion the team needs to undergo a full-scale rebuild. Marte’s trip to the IL only seems to reduce the possibility he changes uniforms this summer.
Diamondbacks Outright Stefan Crichton
JUNE 27: Crichton cleared waivers and has been sent outright to Reno, the D-Backs announced.
JUNE 23: The Diamondbacks announced Wednesday that they’ve designated right-handed reliever Stefan Crichton for assignment and recalled outfielder Nick Heath from Triple-A Reno in his place.
Crichton, 29, worked some high-leverage spots for the Snakes early in the season and even tallied four saves in the season’s first five weeks. In fact, Crichton is the only D-backs reliever with multiple saves this season and leads the team with nine saves dating back to Opening Day 2020.
The right-hander’s results have tanked as of late, however, leading to a 6.04 ERA that surely prompted Wednesday’s DFA. Crichton has totaled only 11 innings over his past 15 appearances, during which time he’s been tagged for 10 earned runs on 16 hits (two homers) with more walks (six) than strikeouts (five).
From 2019-20, Crichton was a solid member of the D-backs’ relief corps, tallying 56 1/3 innings of 3.04 ERA ball with a 50.3 percent grounder rate, a 24.1 percent strikeout rate and a 7.3 percent walk rate. His velocity, strikeout rate and walk rate have all gone in the wrong direction for two consecutive seasons, however. This year’s middling 13.9 percent clip is barely half what it was back in 2019 when he notched a career-best 26.8 percent mark.
The Diamondbacks will have a week to trade Crichton or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. This year’s struggles and velocity dip, paired with the fact that he’s out of minor league options, might temper optimism among other clubs, however.
Diamondbacks Activate Brett de Geus, Option Corbin Martin
After claiming right-hander Brett de Geus off waivers from the Rangers yesterday, the Diamondbacks added him to their active roster today, the team announced. Because he was a Rule 5 pick, de Geus will need to remain on the active roster for the remainder of the season to stay in the Dbacks’ organization.
Arizona was 21-56 coming into today, owners of the worst record in baseball, and while that was hardly the plan for the Snakes, it does allow them to take a chance on a young player like de Geus. As a waiver claim, he’s a no-risk addition to the bullpen, which will also allow them to give more development time to other prospects.
Corbin Martin is one such arm. Martin was optioned to Triple-A to make room on the roster for De Geus. The 25-year-old Martin came to the desert from the Astros as part of the Zack Greinke deal.
Martin has appeared overmatched in five outings (three starts). The former second-round pick started yesterday’s game against the Padres, but he faced just seven hitters, recording one out while giving up four earned runs on three hits (two home runs), a pair of walks, and a hit batsman. He’s been tagged for 19 earned runs in 16 innings for a 10.69 ERA.
de Geus’ numbers with the Rangers don’t suggest he’s a huge upgrade — 8.44 ERA in 19 appearances — but an organization change always brings the possibility of a change in approach or mechanics that could spark something for de Geus, who’s still just 23 years old.
