Arizona Diamondbacks: GM Offseason Simulation, Fake Trade 3/4

When the FanSided GM Offseason Simulation officially launched, trade talk started slow – but it didn’t take long to heat up for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

As “simulated” GM Mike Hazen of the Arizona Diamondbacks, we were eager to make contact with as many teams as possible in the Offseason Simulation. Gauging the value of Arizona’s trade chips was easy, but the mandate from Arizona ownership is murky: compete, but lower payroll in the process. Trade discussions launched from unsteady footing such as this dual-purpose plan does not portend a pleasant future in Arizona. Still, we carry on – as many mid-markets do- in our attempt to build a (fake) winner in the desert. Next target: Jurickson Profar.

After we (fake) traded David Peralta to the Indians for frontline starter Carlos Carrasco, and after we (fake) traded Robbie Ray to the Pittsburgh Pirates for a trio of prospects, the work was not yet done. We’d cut some payroll, but by this point we’d also added a few free agents. Still, we had to turn our attention to augmenting our offense to help make up for the loss of Peralta.

We had explored the possibility of moving Jake Lamb, but without Peralta, the lineup was sorely in need of Lamb’s left-handed power. Still, with prospect Ke’Bryan Hayes now in tow, Lamb’s future in Arizona would be limited. Building up his stock with significant playing time in 2019 would be – in this fake world as well as IRL – the best way to get proper value for him on the trade market.

Thus, we set out in search of a utility player who could, like Eduardo Escobar, could move around the diamond and take the place of Chris Owings – whom could and probably should be non-tendered.

Owings $3.1MM estimated arbitration salary is reasonable for a defensive Swiss army knife with speed off the bench who can conceivably start at five positions a week. Despite the Diamondbacks using him in this way over the last five seasons, Owings is not that guy.

Though he’ll probably find a spot on someone’s bench, I’d just as soon move him off Torey Lovullo’s. His 75 OPS+ and .250/.291/.378 career slash are not the numbers of a someone who should be getting 300+ at bats a season. He should be non-tendered, and a replacement should be found. Such as…