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A look back at the Didi Gregorius trade

By Dylan Moore

Jul 21, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Didi Gregorius against the Detroit Tigers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 21, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Didi Gregorius against the Detroit Tigers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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As most Diamondbacks fans know, the team dealt Didi Gregorius in a three-team trade involving the Yankees and the Tigers in 2014. But how well did that trade work out for the Diamondbacks?

The Yanks brought on Gregorius to take some guy’s place at short after he retired. While he has not been the offensive juggernaut that Jeter was, he’s still performed well. He has hit to a .264/.310/.370 triple slash since the trade, better than both his years in Arizona. He also had career highs in home runs (9) and RBI (56) last year. But what’s most valuable is his stellar defense. He consistently made jaw-dropping plays and saved a lot of runs for the Yankees’ pitching staff. He saved five defensive runs above average last season.

The Yankees sent Shane Greene to the Tigers in their part of the deal. Greene has a 6.80 ERA in his two seasons in Detroit, much higher than his 3.78 ERA while with the Yankees. A good move on their part.

Arizona got Robbie Ray and minor-leaguer Domingo Leyba out of this trade. Ray has a 3.70 ERA as a member of the Diamondbacks, and he’s been a solid member of the rotation. While he only has a 7-15 record with the Snakes, he has pitched better than that would suggest. He has a 112 ERA+ while playing for Arizona and he has only allowed 73 walks in 763 plate appearances, while racking up 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

Domingo Leyba is currently at the A advanced (A+) level playing primarily shortstop. He has a .263/.343/.388 line this season with three homers and 16 RBI through 40 games. While his play isn’t spectacular yet, he’s only 20 years old and will have plenty of time to improve as he makes his way up the ranks.

Currently, it seems like the Yankees got the best part of the trade. Didi enjoyed the best offensive season of his career and he’s kept his production up. But Robbie Ray and Domingo Leyba aren’t doing so badly either. So even though the D-Backs traded away a young shortstop with a lot of upside, the team doesn’t seem to have missed a beat.

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