D-backs add to bullpen, fill unexpected hole at Deadline

PHOENIX -- The D-backs’ approach to Tuesday’s Trade Deadline was pretty clear up until the last 24 hours, when a key injury forced them to adjust on the fly. But in the end, it all worked out about as well as they could have hoped.

Let’s take a look at how it all came together.

Accessing the market
About two weeks ago, after talking with the other 29 teams, it became clear to GM Mike Hazen that the price for starting pitching was simply too high.

At the same time, Hazen had monitored the rehab of injured pitchers Jordan Montgomery, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez to get a feel for their chances of returning. Montgomery has since come back, Rodriguez could rejoin the rotation on the team’s upcoming road trip and Kelly is not far behind.

With so many teams looking for starting pitching, Hazen took a chance and paid a little more than he might have otherwise in order to get left-handed reliever A.J. Puk from the Marlins on July 25.

That way, he figured that by the time other teams realized they couldn’t get a starter and turned their attention to the relievers, he would have already gotten his top target.

After getting Puk, Hazen continued to work on trying to find another bullpen piece, which he was able to do just minutes before the deadline when he acquired Dylan Floro from the Nationals in exchange for Minor League third baseman Andres Chaparro, who was not among Arizona’s Top 30 Prospects per MLB Pipeline.

Change in plans
As he continued to work the phones Monday, Hazen was still on the hunt for relief arms until something happened in Arizona’s game against the Nationals that upended things.

First baseman Christian Walker, a force both at the plate and in the field for the D-backs, left the game in the third inning with tightness in his left oblique. The D-backs didn’t have a true backup first baseman on their 26-man roster with backup middle infielder Kevin Newman and outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. having limited experience there.

The team scheduled an MRI for Tuesday morning, but as Hazen and his staff arranged to get Triple-A Reno first baseman Pavin Smith on a plane so that he could be in Phoenix for Tuesday, they looked at other possible options.

One of the names they discussed was Marlins first baseman/designated hitter Josh Bell, who had been designated for assignment. They weren’t going to claim him and the nearly $6 million left on his contract, but they knew that his waivers would expire at 10 a.m. MST on Tuesday, and by then they would know more about Walker’s status.

Good news
Walker’s MRI came back Tuesday morning and showed a low-grade strain -- the best news the D-backs could reasonably have expected – meaning he might only miss three to four weeks.

Hazen then reached out to the Marlins to see what it would cost to get Bell. In the end, they agreed to pick up $2.25 million of the money left on Bell’s contract this year along with cash considerations.

Hazen called Lovullo to tell him that he got him a switch-hitter with power to fill in for Walker while he’s out and then an intriguing bat for the bench down the stretch.

One more arm
As the clock ticked down toward the 3 p.m. MST deadline, Hazen and Nationals GM Mike Rizzo got serious about a deal for Floro.

Floro wound up walking over from the visitor’s clubhouse to the home one just prior to the D-backs taking the field for batting practice.

Hazen, meanwhile, could take a breath after what had been a furious few weeks. His team just a half-game out of an NL Wild Card spot heading into Tuesday night’s games, Hazen had secured a pair of bullpen arms and a replacement at first base, and he also knew he had two starting pitchers on the way for the stretch run.

“Kind of walked out with what we felt like we were going to try to get accomplished which was to fortify the bullpen,” Hazen said. “Last night's game there was a little bit of a curveball so I had to adjust a little bit from a position player standpoint. We feel pretty good about what happened.”