With the trade deadline in the past, expect plenty of analysis over the moves that teams did or didn’t make to address roster holes. For the Diamondbacks, their relatively quiet deadline day came and went with the addition of outfielder Lars Nootbaar, but nothing done to upgrade the rotation or bullpen.
It wasn’t for lack of trying, as the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro reports that the D’Backs and Mets were deep in talks about a deal that would’ve sent Clay Holmes to Phoenix. Negotiations had advanced to the point that the two sides exchanged medical information yesterday about the players involved in the proposed swap, but that’s when things hit a snag. Piecoro writes that the Mets had “concerns” about the medicals of one of the prospects the D’Backs would’ve sent to New York, and a new agreement couldn’t be reached after “the teams tried to rework the deal with different players involved.”
The stalemate seemed to occur around 2pm CT, or around three hours before the 5pm trade deadline. As Piecoro notes, the Diamondbacks were left waiting as other pitchers on their wishlist were dealt elsewhere. The result was that Holmes went to another team, as the Mets dealt the veteran righty and outfielder Tyrone Taylor to the Cubs for infield prospect Jefferson Rojas. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman broke the news of the Holmes trade at 3:44pm CT, to add to the timeline of events.
Without knowing more specifics, it’s hard to assess any real fault in the situation. The Mets are certainly within their rights to take issue with a player’s medical history, as that’s exactly why such information-sharing is a routine part of the final stages of trade talks. If the Mets felt safer in pivoting to the Cubs’ offer to take Rojas, that is an entirely fair stance. Since different teams have individual standards or specifications in reviewing medicals, however, it is possible another club might’ve been entirely fine with that Arizona prospect’s health history, which is probably where any frustration lies on the Diamondbacks’ part. Offering that same prospect to another club might well have landed the D’Backs some extra pitching help.
Speaking about the Snakes’ trade talks in general in the lead-up to the deadline, GM Mike Hazen told MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert and other media that “we offered a lot, so all the way to the top of our farm system, etc. I had to draw the line on the Major League team on some level on some of those asks. Taking guys off the Major League team comes with a bigger risk — taking guys out of the bullpen, taking younger players off the team that we need. But from a prospect standpoint, you know, I felt like we were very aggressive. I wish we were able to do more, with the way the team has played.”
It remains to be seen if details emerge about the player or players involved in Arizona’s offer for Holmes, or what exactly the hold-up was on the Mets’ end. The situation may make for some interesting armchair quarterbacking down the road, especially depending on how Rojas develops or if any of the players involved in the Diamondbacks’ offer go on to big league success.
In the short term, the D’Backs now have to hope that their second-half pitching upgrades can come from injured hurlers returning to action. There’s some positive news on this front, as manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Piecoro and Jose M. Romero) that Justin Martinez is set to begin a minor league rehab assignment today, Michael Soroka will pitch in a Triple-A game today, and Blake Walston isn’t far away from his own Triple-A assignment. Drey Jameson is also set to throw a simulated game today.
Corbin Burnes will throw a bullpen session on Tuesday in the former Cy Young Award winner’s latest step in a lengthy absence. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in June 2025, Burnes’ rehab was halted by a teres major strain two months ago that seemingly delayed his return until September at the earliest. Burnes told Piecoro, Romero, and other media today that “everything’s been feeling great” in his rehab process, and his intention is to be back before September 1.
To make 40-man roster room for Nootbaar, Zac Gallen was shifted from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL. This means that September 7 is now the earliest Gallen can return to action since his 15-day stint began on July 9. Gallen is dealing with inflammation in his right elbow, but Lovullo said Gallen has started throwing from 120-foot distances in the initial stages of his throwing build-up.
The win over the Padres improved the Diamondbacks’ record to 60-53, keeping the Snakes tied for the second NL wild card and giving Arizona a two-game cushion over the playoff line. Some solid recent performances from Merrill Kelly and Brandon Pfaadt have helped the rotation, and Eduardo Rodriguez continues to enjoy a terrific bounce-back season that resulted in an All-Star nod.
