This Year’s Trade Deadline Could Be Run By the D-backs
Should the Arizona Diamondbacks opt to be sellers at the trade deadline, they could have an immense impact on the market ahead of July 31.
As the July 31 MLB trade deadline inches closer each passing day, the rumor mill has started to heat up, especially after the Rafael Devers blockbuster trade.
Looking at the National League postseason picture, there are plenty of clear-cut buyers like the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs, and plenty of clear-cut sellers such as the Colorado Rockies, Pittsburgh Pirates and Miami Marlins.
But for many teams in the thick of the NL Wild Card race, the coming days and weeks will be crucial in determining how they’ll approach the deadline.
One team in that category that eyes will surely be fixated on is the Arizona Diamondbacks. At 40-38 and just 2.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot, they certainly fit the mold of a team that could more than reasonably be aggressive at the deadline if they so choose.
However, it’s no secret that expectations for the D-backs were a lot higher than a near .500 record this close to the season’s halfway point.
They’re in the highly competitive NL West with three potential powerhouses in the Dodgers, Giants and Padres ahead of them. Then, it’s important to consider that they have to navigate this nightmare of a division without their ace and newly signed free agent gem, Corbin Burnes, who recently underwent Tommy John surgery.
All things considered, there are an equal number (if not more) reasons to think Arizona will approach this deadline as sellers. If that’s the case, they not only have the tradeable assets to entice teams to do business with them, but they have the assets to potentially control the entire deadline.
Stats and standings updated prior to games on June 24.
The Diamondbacks Could Have a Tremendous Impact on the 2025 Trade Deadline
The D-backs entered the 2025 season with one of the more loaded rosters in all of baseball, with no apparent weakness from top to bottom. If only baseball were played on paper, though, as between various injuries and underperformances from key fixtures on this roster, that expectation hasn’t materialized into reality.
Perhaps Arizona might look to bolster their starting staff and bullpen to account for the losses of Burnes, Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk.
However, aces don’t grow on trees, nor do they come cheap. They may have four prospects featured on our most recent Top 100 list, but only one in the top 50. Two are within the bottom 20 with more distant ETAs.
Moreover, with how their rotation has struggled in 2025 (4.49 ERA and 1.30 WHIP), they might be more than a top-end closer away from contention.
So, if that’s the case, then selling could be an enticing option for the Diamondbacks in 2025, especially with the amount of prime tradeable assets they have at their disposal.
They have the perfect mix of high-end luxury trade assets that could be transformative for a contending lineup, as well as traditional small-scale, role-playing boosts that can provide that breath of life for a postseason push.
The Impact Bats
Looking at those aforementioned transformative pieces, the D-backs may very well control the corner infield market with Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor.
Suárez is in the final year of his contract, and with the fact that he’s also in the midst of what could be a career year at nearly 34 years old, they could get a decent haul despite his expiring deal.
While he might not be the other-worldly power producer that Aaron Judge or Cal Raleigh have been this season, he’s not far off by any means. He currently ranks fourth behind those two (and Shohei Ohtani) with 25 homers, while also sitting fifth in SLG at .569. Because of this power, Suárez also finds himself atop the NL RBI leaderboard with 67.
From an underlying metrics perspective, his power looks more than sustainable this season. He sits close to the 90th percentile in both hard-hit rate (51.2%) and barrel rate (14.6%) while also holding a spectacular 89th percentile xSLG of .530.
Suárez has been more than just simply a power hitter, as he has all the makings of a productive hitter in general, slashing .251/.323/.569 with a 141 wRC+ as well as a .362 xwOBA.
Moving on, we have Naylor, who may only be in his first season in the desert, but nonetheless will be a free agent upon season’s end.
He, too, is putting together quite the season at the plate, as he’s showing flashes of his 2023 breakout with the Cleveland Guardians, when he hit .308 with 97 RBI, an .842 OPS and a 127 wRC+ while striking out just 13.7% of the time.
This season, he’s hitting .303 with nine homers, 51 RBI, an .824 OPS and a 127 wRC+ while striking out just 12.9% of the time.
While Arizona may be slightly reluctant to move on from their offseason investment so soon, the opportunity to recoup some assets could be a game-changer, especially if he’s going to opt to test the free agent waters this winter.
The presence of Pavin Smith – especially considering the follow-up year he’s having after a 2024 breakout – and his two and a half years of remaining control would make this move a lot easier for Arizona to stomach.
If the D-backs want to get slightly more daring as sellers, they could potentially look to move on from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. before the deadline as well.
While his contract may only run until the end of 2026, that’s still a full year more of control that a contending team could work with, and it could help bring in a solid return that might match that of Suárez or Naylor. Those two may have the edge over Gurriel from a numbers standpoint, but that additional year could balance the playing field a bit.
That being said, it’s not as if the 31-year-old is chopped liver by any means, as he’s putting together another solid campaign.
Gurriel has been a bill of consistency since arriving on the MLB scene in 2018 in Toronto. He’s never put forth a below-average season in terms of OPS.
This year, he’s slashing .257/.304/.421 with 10 homers, 40 RBI, a very low 14.4% K-rate, a .725 OPS and a 98 wRC+.
The Role Player
Now let’s shift gears a bit, to some more modest assets that would be traditionally associated with the trade deadline, starting with Randal Grichuk.
Grichuk re-upped with the Diamondbacks after a career-best 139 wRC+ campaign in 2024. However, 2025 has not necessarily gone to plan for the 33-year-old veteran outfielder.
In 127 plate appearances spread out across 50 games, he’s hitting .243 with a .717 OPS and at 91 wRC+. Nothing to write home about by any means, but still a passable enough performance that he could be enticing for teams looking for a budget buy at the deadline, especially considering he’s only on a one-year, $5 million contract.
The Arms
Lastly, we move to the mound, and despite arms like Zac Gallen and Eduardo Rodríguez crafting disappointing campaigns so far, all is not lost in the rotation from a trade asset point of view.
Veteran right-hander Merrill Kelly is the prime example of this. While it may not be the best year of his career, it’s certainly up there for one of the better years he’s had since coming over from the KBO back in 2019.
He’s currently throwing to a 3.39 ERA, 3.31 FIP, 1.05 WHIP and .211 BAA, with an even 9.00 K/9 mark and a respectable 2.42 BB/9 clip.
The fact that the reliable 36-year-old is not only in the final year of his contract but holds a very affordable $7 million price tag this season only adds to his value as a trade asset.
The Trade Deadline Could Run Through Arizona
Given the fact that the Diamondbacks are above .500, have a prolific offense led by top talents Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte and are still just two seasons removed from claiming the National League pennant, selling may be a tough pill to swallow.
However, considering the uphill climb they’re facing to navigate a highly competitive NL West division with all the injury issues they currently face, a postseason run might be wishful thinking. Plus, with the amount of quality players on expiring contracts on their books, it might be wise for Mike Hazen and the D-backs front office to cash in while they still can, with October baseball not a guarantee.
Should they do that, we’ve established that with the tradeable talent they possess, the trade deadline would almost certainly run through Arizona.
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