As the trade deadline looms, the Arizona Diamondbacks target a Washington Nationals first baseman and a Detroit Tigers starting pitcher.
With the MLB Trade Deadline roughly 48 hours away, USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale recently named a pair of players that the Arizona Diamondbacks would love to acquire.
Arizona just picked up its fourth straight victory, so it comes as no surprise they might be super aggressive heading into the Aug. 3 deadline.
Nightengale has discussed Luis Garcia Jr. and Casey Mize being on the trade block, and those are the two players the D-backs are targeting.
Ultimately, this makes a ton of sense. First base has been a position where they're looking for improvement, and they'd love to add another starter to help out with their struggling veterans and also help not put as much pressure on their rookies.
Garcia Jr. would be a tremendous addition
Garcia Jr. is just 26 years old, and he would provide Arizona with another left-handed bat in the lineup. The New York native currently plays for the Washington Nationals, but they've also been very vocal about moving on from some players as it's yet another failed season for the 2019 World Series Champions.
The first baseman's numbers are incredible, and have been for quite some time. He's slashing .283/.313/.560, and that slugging percentage is a career high, by far. Previously, his best came in 2024 when it was .444.
To no surprise, his .873 OPS is also a career high. His batting average is .01 higher than it was in 2024 (.282) while his OPS hasn't ever been above .762.
Garcia Jr. didn't peak in 2024, and that's part of the reason why he's so intriguing. Added in with the fact that he's a rental, this is a risk-free deal for the Diamondbacks, and one that leaves the door open for an extension.
Diamondbacks should capitalize on Tigers fire sale
Mize, 29, could be the next Detroit Tigers starting pitcher to be traded. Everyone knew they were going to move on from Tarik Skubal, but now Arizona is stuck in the same division as him.
Their response? It could be adding Skubal's former teammate. Mize is a right-handed pitcher who's 4-6 this year, but his 2.70 ERA and 0.99 WHIP are absolutely remarkable.
The Alabama native is in a similar boat as Garcia Jr., seeing as both players have spent their entire career with one team. All of that could change in the next 48 hours, and the D-backs would be thrilled to just add one of these players, but would be over the moon if both came to Arizona.
