Four All-Stars, Trade Deadline, Slump - D-backs Newsletter Midseason Edition
- Nathaniel Wiley
- Aug 1, 2023
- 10 min read
Updated: Aug 2, 2023
The fans are excited, and so are we because it's been a hot minute since the last D-backs Newsletter, and there's a lot to catch up on. But first, it's probably a good idea to take a look at the D-backs and their standings thus far in the season, as well as some predictions for the future.
Season Update
The D-backs have been in a bit of a slump lately, winning only three of their last seven games. They have, however, been turning it around lately, winning two of their last three, and beating their fellow NL West team the San Fransisco Giants in eleven innings yesterday. The D-backs are currently sitting in third place in the West, a single game behind the second place Giants, and 3.5 games behind the first place Dodgers. The D-backs have 57 wins and 50 losses, much different than where they stood on this day last season (45-57). Fangraphs says that the Diamondbacks have a 46.4% chance at the playoffs, and Baseball Reference says they have a 44.4% chance.
Before the All-Star break, the Snakes were 52-39, tied with the Dodgers for first place in the division. They were also 2.5 games ahead of other teams for a spot in the wild card. Currently, they're tied with the Miami Marlins and the Milwaukee Brewers for the third MLB Wild Card. If they can keep up how they were doing before the All-Star break, they will most likely be able to keep their Wild Card spot for 2023.
Player Highlights
There are many players who have done outstandingly well in the first half (plus a few games) of the regular season, some of them have made big improvements since last year.
Ketel Marte: Marte, 29 years old, has emerged from his rough 2022 season (batted .240 with only 5 runs batted in), with an outstanding 2023 campaign. Currently, he's batting .295 with 17 home runs, 56 RBI, and an MLB leading 7 triples. Marte has six hits in his last four games, resulting in two runs and an RBI. He is certainly panning out for the D-backs, despite questions raised by last season. Marte is listed as the 6th best D-back all time (in terms of wins above replacement), leading players like Zack Greinke, Steve Finley, David Peralta, and other former Diamondbacks.
Corbin Carroll: Carroll is, according to Baseball Reference, the D-backs second-best player in 2023 (following Marte), helping the team gain an extra 4.3 wins over what a replacement-level player would have gained the team (the wins above replacement statistic). Carroll is batting .281 with 58 RBI and 21 homers in his second season as a Diamondback. He is still considered a rookie, despite playing 32 games in the 2022 season, meaning that his 2023 season could win him a Rookie of the Year award. Carroll is one of four Diamondbacks who represented the team in the 2023 MLB All-Star Game. Carroll has five hits in his last five games, but has been in a slump lately. On July 26th, however, he had three hits, including a double, and scored three times in a losing effort against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Lourdes Gurriel, Jr.: Gurriel is becoming a fan favorite since he arrived in Arizona after the D-backs sent Daulton Varsho to the Toronto Blue Jays in December of last year. Fans have started wearing hats resembling Gurriel's purple hair. Gurriel (and his brother Yuli of the Marlins, with the same hairstyle) have the slogan "Piña Power" because of their pineapple-shaped hair. Gurriel, Jr. is batting .249 this year, with 15 homers, 57 RBI and 50 extra base hits. Gurriel, along with being a talented player, is a fan favorite in left field. In a game against the Mariners, Gurriel played catch with a young fan in the stands between innings.
Kevin Ginkel: Ginkel, a native of San Diego, had a whopping 5.25 earned run average combined over his last three seasons in Arizona, but is beginning to look like his 2019 (1.48 ERA over 25 games) self again. This year, Ginkel has a 2.18 ERA over the course of 37 games pitched. He's won five games out of the bullpen and has only allowed ten runs in total. Ginkel is one of two D-backs relievers with a sub-3.00 ERA this season (soon to be one of three three, see "Trade Deadline" section below). He is becoming a consistent force in the Snakes' bullpen, which will be a big help in their push for a Wild Card spot.
Honorable Mention: Emmanuel Rivera (.292 batting average in 2023, 5 hits in last 5 games, 24 RBI, 4 home runs).
Bally Sports No More!
The Arizona Diamondbacks used to be broadcast by Bally Sports Arizona, owned by the Diamond Sports Group. Well, after Diamond Sports Group missed a payment to the baseball team and declared bankruptcy, the team had a "forced departure" with Bally Sports Arizona (quoted from D-backs CEO Derrick Hall). The team has now moved their broadcasts to new channels, run by Major League Baseball. The list of channels to watch D-backs games is to the right. MLB has also given D-backs fans the option to purchase their D-backs MLB.TV package, which, unlike their previous packages for locals, includes all home games, as well as away games.
Fans of the D-backs (as well as their TV announcers) have begun calling the D-backs the "Answerbacks" because of how often they're able to come back from allowing runs. It appears that the name "Answerbacks" originated in the comments of a Twitter post by the D-backs. Some companies have even begun to sell "Answerbacks" t-shirts.
Four All-Stars
The D-backs had four All-Stars in the 2023 All-Star Game, the first time they'd had that many All-Stars since 2002, and the first time one of their outfielders has started the game since 2001 (when Luis Gonzalez started the All-Star game). The four players are Corbin Carroll, the rookie D-back outfielder, who was elected by fans to start the game, Lourdes Gurriel, Jr., another Diamondback outfielder, righty Zac Gallen, who was given the start for the National League, and Geraldo Perdomo, one of the D-backs' shortstops. None of the players had been to the All-Star Game prior to this season. All four All-Star D-backs got playing time in the game.
Zac Gallen started the game off strong for the National League, striking out one and only allowing one hit, to Randy Arozarena, who was caught stealing at second. Gallen's strikeout was of pitcher/hitter Shohei Ohtani.
Corbin Carroll didn't play particularly well in the game, grounding and striking out. He did, however, provide a fun in-game interview where he talks about growing up coming to Mariners games, and about the D-backs' first half. The interview is viewable here.
Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. started off playing in left field in the bottom of the 5th inning, and in the 7th, got to first on an infield single. He later advanced to second on a walk by Geraldo Perdomo. In the top of the 8th inning, Gurriel struck out.
Geraldo Perdomo, mentioned above, came into the game in the bottom of the 6th inning. He walked in the top of the 7th, advancing Gurriel, Jr. to second. Perdomo later flied out to right field.
Overall, the National League won the All-Star Game 3-2. The scoring started for the American League when Yandy Díaz (first baseman of the Tampa Bay Rays) hit a solo homer to left field in the bottom of the 2nd. Then, Luis Arráez singled in Dodgers' designated hitter (and former Diamondback) J.D. Martinez to get the National League on the board.
The AL then scored again after Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette hit a sacrifice fly to right field.
Then, the NL sealed the deal when, in the top of the 8th, Rockies catcher Elias Díaz hit a pinch hit, go ahead two run homer, bringing the National League on top 3-2. This was the first NL All-Star victory since 2012, 9 All-Star Games ago.
2023 MLB Trade Deadline
There have been some major trades this trade deadline, like the Astros acquiring Justin Verlander and the Rangers getting Max Scherzer, but the D-backs have also made some interesting moves. The trades and their details are listed below.
Josh Rojas (INF), Dominic Canzone (OF/1B), Ryan Bliss (INF) to Seattle Mariners for Paul Sewald (RHP): There are some pros and cons to this, especially seeing as the D-backs gave up their number 19 and 29 prospects (Canzone and Bliss). However, the Diamondbacks have been needing bullpen support, especially in close games. Paul Sewald has been in the league for 7 years, and is 33 years old. In his past two seasons (2021 and 2022) with Seattle, he had a combined 2.87 ERA with only 41 earned runs in over 128 innings pitched. Sewald currently has a 2.93 ERA, joining Kevin Ginkel and Drey Jameson as the only relievers in the D-back bullpen to have a sub 3.00 ERA. He currently has 12.6 strikeouts per nine innings as well, which, according to MLB Network broadcasters, is a valuable skill, especially if the D-backs make it to the Wild Card.
Josh Rojas had a .228 batting average with the D-backs this season, and has a career .252 batting average. This year, Rojas has a -0.4 WAR, which is not a good thing, especially considering that the D-backs have Emmanuel Rivera and Evan Longoria for third base. Both Rivera and Longoria have a positive WAR this year, and have higher batting averages than Rojas. The D-backs also have Diego Castillo as an option for third, who was batting .340 in AAA Reno this year, and was called up by the D-backs on Monday (he previously played in the Majors with the Pirates). Canzone wasn't doing particularly well in the majors, only batting .237 this year with a -0.2 WAR, and the D-backs have plenty of outfielders to take his place on the roster. Ryan Bliss was the other piece in the four-player trade, and he started off 2023 with a .196 average in AAA, and was then sent to AA where he has a .358 batting average. Overall, the Sewald trade appears that it will work out for the D-backs.
D-backs acquire Jace Peterson (INF) and cash considerations, sending Chad Patrick (RHP) to the Oakland A's: Another intriguing move that the D-backs made, in which they swapped Chad Patrick, a 24-year-old righty who's in Double-A currently. This year with the D-backs' AA affiliate, he had a 4.71 ERA with 4 wins and 7 losses in just over 91 innings pitched. Jace Peterson, who the D-backs' got in return, is in his tenth MLB season, posting a .221 batting average this season with 15 extra base hits and 11 RBI in 281 at bats. He has struck out 77 times this year, which could be a concern going forward. Peterson has never batted over .254 in a season. Clearly, however, the D-backs see the good in Peterson. In their social media post welcoming Peterson to the club, they added the caption "Best Jace Scenario. 😉". Peterson will start at third base in the Diamondbacks' game on 8/1/23.
D-backs swap Andrew Chafin (LHP) for Peter Strzelecki (RHP) with the Milwaukee Brewers: This is a very interesting move, especially considering that the D-backs need consistent bullpen arms, which Chafin is (to a certain extent). This season, Chafin has a 4.19 ERA with 2 wins and 3 losses. He also has 8 saves this year. He's got 12.8 strikeouts per every 9 innings. But he also has nearly five walks every nine innings, which an MLB Network broadcaster cited as a possible reason that the D-backs could have traded him. "The Diamondbacks aren't dumb here either. So he's striking people out, he's walking a ton of people, they must have thought that there were better options in their bullpen to move forward with than Chafin," said the broadcaster. Other MLB Network broadcasters said that for many teams shooting for the playoffs, they want pitchers who get strikeouts, because that's valuable in the playoffs, but others made the point that they also don't want walks in the playoffs.
The pitcher who the D-backs got in return, Peter Strzelecki, has a 4.54 ERA this year with 3 wins and 5 losses. Strzelecki, unlike Chafin, only allows 2.5 walks per nine innings, and strikes out 9.3 batters per nine. Both pitchers seem comparable as far as statistics go, but Strzelecki is younger than Chafin, and had a promising 2022, with a 2.83 ERA.
New York Mets send Tommy Pham (OF) to Arizona for Jeremy Rodriguez (INF): Tommy Pham is an MLB veteran who has played in the league since 2014. He's batting .268 this season with 10 homer and 15 doubles, as well as 36 RBI. It's not like the D-backs need another outfielder, as they already have many young and talented outfielders (Corbin Carroll, Jake McCarthy, etc.), but it is speculated that the D-backs acquired Tommy Pham so they could transfer Lourdes Gurriel, Jr. to more of a bench or designated hitter role on the team. Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors says "Gurriel got off to a torrid start in the desert but has just a .180/.225/.337 line since the beginning of June. The Pham acquisition presumably pushes Gurriel into more of a bench/designated hitter role. The D-Backs have rotated a number of players through the DH spot to keep them fresh throughout the season."
The player that the Mets got in return, Jeremy Rodriguez, is a 17-year-old who is currently playing in the Dominican Summer Leagues. He has been praised because of his swing by Ben Badler of Baseball America. Rodriguez is nowhere near entering the Majors any time soon.
Happy Birthday, Baxter!
To close off the midseason D-backs Newsletter, it is worth recognizing that the D-backs' mascot, Baxter Bobcat, celebrated his birthday on Sunday. Because of the celebration, mascots from teams all over Phoenix came to Chase Field for the Mariners vs D-backs game. Artie the Artichoke from Scottsdale Community College came, the Arizona Coyotes mascot was there, Sparky the Sun Devil (ASU) attended, so did Big Red of the Arizona Cardinals, and even the Phoenix Suns Gorilla made an appearance, among other mascots from the Valley. Baxter sure seemed to have a good time! Happy birthday, Baxter! And until next time, D-backs fans!
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Image of Corbin Carroll: CC BY-SA 2.0
Image of Andrew Chafin: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Image of Tommy Pham: CC BY-SA 4.0
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A very good synopsis of the current situation. It was especially interesting to read of the trades. A question…
Did NWP send their mascot to the birthday celebration?