The Arizona Diamondbacks added some left-handed hitting help in Lars Nootbaar, but their failure to get a pitcher is troubling.
In the weeks leading up to the 2026 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline, Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen highlighted the potential for the front office to become buyers.
However, as the 6 p.m. Deadline was fast approaching on Monday, it was looking like the Diamondbacks were not going to do anything at all. Then, with time running out, Hazen and the front office made a move to acquire left fielder Lars Nootbaar from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Following the trade for Nootbaar — which saw right-hander Daniel Eagen, left-hander Sandro Santana and a player to be named later sent to St. Louis — Hazen spoke with the media.
Addressing a need
For Hazen, this is a move to feel good about.
From his perspective, one of the goals ahead of the Deadline was to try to address the issues the Diamondbacks have had against right-handed pitchers this season. When facing righties, the Diamondbacks have posted a .229 batting average, which is 29th among MLB’s 30 teams heading into Tuesday’s slate of games.
Moreover, their on-base percentage is ranked 27th (.304), their slugging percentage is 30th (.373) and their OPS is 29th (.677). By bringing in Nootbaar, who is a left-handed hitter, some of those problems should be alleviated.
Falling short
While the acquisition of Nootbaar is helpful, it is concerning that the Diamondbacks were not able to address any other needs, one of which was pitching.
Hazen made it clear that the front office made great attempts to acquire another arm, but it simply did not happen. Hazen said a lot of players were made available to try to add another pitcher, but things did not go their way.
This is an eyebrow-raising situation because the Diamondbacks arguably needed more pitching help than they did a left-handed hitter. So much of the onus to play winning baseball this season has fallen on Arizona’s offense because its pitching staff has not lived up to the task.
Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez has been the bright spot in the rotation, but poor play, injuries, or both from other starters have been the downfall of the Diamondbacks’ production on the mound. So, why did they strike out at the Deadline for additional help?
Hazen said players going up to the top of the organization’s farm system were made available in trade negotiations, but he had to draw the line on parting with anyone on the 40-man roster. When other teams were getting rotation-level pitchers without giving up any of their best prospects, why did Arizona’s front office not have any luck at all?
Indeed, the Diamondbacks do not boast a very strong farm system. In recently updated rankings produced by Jon Hoefling of USA Today, Arizona’s farm system ranked 27th out of the 30 teams. Previously, it was ranked 26th.
Still, if the front office was as aggressive as Hazen said it was, it makes the failure of an addition in a necessary area perplexing, especially for a team that is fighting to stay in the postseason picture.
