With their primary slugging target bound for the Bronx, the Arizona Diamondbacks must navigate a steep trade market to bolster their roster.
Hours after it was reported that Luis Garcia Jr. is a name the Arizona Diamondbacks would love to acquire, they're stuck going back to the drawing board.
The New York Yankees beat the D-backs to the punch as they struck a deal for Garcia the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 2.
Knowing Garcia is a rental, it may have been smart for Arizona to pivot. Their offer for Garcia was never made public, but it's hard to believe it would've been close to what the Yankees offered.
Washington Nationals squeezed every inch out of Garcia
The Washington Nationals made sure they got their money's worth. Garcia has one more year of team control, but he's set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2028. This isn't a three-month rental-style deal like Tarik Skubal was, but it's not like the Yankees are going to have Garcia around forever, unless they plan to sign him to a long-term extension.
Ultimately, it cost the Yankees to send Ben Grable, Yovanny Cruz, Jack Cebert, and Jake Bird. On paper, that's a massive haul for someone who's relatively average when it comes to playing first base.
Defensively, his abilities are one thing, but hitting-wise he's next level. Garcia currently leads the National League in slugging percentage, so the Yankees are getting a big-time bat that they'll be able to slot into a lineup that desperately needs it.
Diamondbacks still have other options to explore
If the Nationals were truly asking the D-backs for four prospects, they made the right decision by hanging up the phone.
Arizona would've loved to have a slugger like Garcia join their lineup, but now they can put their attention elsewhere. Instead of including four prospects in one deal, they could spread their wings and make a couple of deals come to life in the next 24 hours.
Pitching remains a big need for the Diamondbacks, and their "need" for a first baseman has been well documented. At this point, they just know it won't be Garcia.
In the hours to come, some of these names are going to start flying off the board. Skubal was the first domino to fall, so pitching-wise, Arizona needs to get to work sooner rather than later.
For what the Yankees paid, Diamondbacks fans can't be too upset about not getting Garcia, but they'll have a right to be upset if this playoff-contending team fails to make anything of note happen by the end of the day on Monday, Aug. 3.
