Two bold mock Arizona Diamondbacks trade proposals
Let's look at two bold mock trade proposals the Arizona Diamondbacks could make to improve their current situation at designated hitter.
Arizona Diamondbacks acquire: | Oakland Athletics acquire: |
|---|---|
-DH/OF Brent Rooker | -3B/1B Ivan Melendez and OF Gian Zapata |
MLB Trade Rumors recently listed Oakland Athletics' corner outfielder/designated hitter Brent Rooker as a player the D-Backs could go after to fill the DH void in their line-up, something I recently covered. Rooker would be a massive boost to the D-Backs' starting nine. Last year, Rooker was a .246/.329/.488 batter with a .348 wOBA and 127 wRC+ through 526 plate appearances. Rooker mashed 30 home runs with a .242 isolated slugging percentage while ranking in the top 85th percentile or better in exit velocity (91.6 MPH), hard-hit rate (49.5%), and barrel rate (15.6%).
His 9.3% walk rate was above average, but he struck out in nearly a third of his total plate appearances with a K% of 32.7%. Rooker's strikeout rate wasn't the only negative of his season. He split his time as a designated hitter and corner outfield for the Athletics. As a defender, he had -4 defensive runs saved and -5 outs above average in less than 500 innings played. But if he plays most of his games at DH, this might be a massive problem.
Rooker is not only coming off a great season but is still a whole year away from even being arbitration-eligible. That's going to boost his price up. The Diamondbacks are going to have to give up something pretty valuable, so in this trade, I have the Snakes sending Ivan Melendez. Melendez, the Diamondback's first-round pick in 2022, Melendez had a great year in 2023.
Through 379 plate appearances with Hillsboro and Amarillo, Melendez slashed .272/.345/.578 with a .400 wOBA and 136 wRC+. Melendez absolutely mashed. He was one of 15 batters last season with at least 30 home runs. His isolated slugging percentage peaked at over .300 at .306. Among minor leaguers with at least 300 plate appearances, Melendez ranked 6th.
But Melendez isn't without his faults. He struck out in 34.3% of his plate appearances with a walk rate of only 7.8%. Melendez is a below-average runner with poor range. He is limited to the corners, but his defensive ability may push him over to first base long-term. But Melendez has top-of-the-line raw power. Even if his hit tool eventually develops to an average level, he'll be a 30+ home run hitter.
Along with Melendez, I have the D-Backs sending infield prospect Gian Zapata. An 18-year-old outfield prospect, Zapata was part of the D-Backs' international class last year. He was signed nearly a year ago to the date. Zapata spent his entire 2023 season at the D-Backs' Dominican Summer League affiliate, where he hit .254/.354/.522 in a 165 plate appearance sample size. Zapata struck out in 29.1% of his plate appearances but combated that with an 11.5% walk rate. He hit for good pop, ending his first look against pro pitching with a .269 isolated slugging percentage.
Zapata is a projectable player, standing at 6'4",195-LBS. He could be a plus power hitter with plus speed. He could definitely stay in center field long-term if he keeps his athleticism and speed up as he fills his frame out. But if he has to move to a corner, he has an outstanding arm that will play at all three outfield positions.
Rooker has four years of control remaining, and if he continues to be a 30+ homer/120-130 wRC+ batter, he's not going to come cheap. If the Diamondbacks want to be serious about filling the DH role via a trade, then they have to offer something serious. It might be hard to part with Melendez, but it would be a full measure.
Arizona Diamondbacks acquire: | Tampa Bay Rays acquire: |
|---|---|
-DH/OF/1B Harold Ramirez | -OF Dominic Fletcher and C J.J. D'Orazio |
One of the other potential DHs on the trade market is Harold Ramirez from the Tampa Bay Rays. Ramirez is in the opposite vein as Rooker. While he might not hit for much power, he can hit for a good average with an above-average strikeout rate. But he is similar to Rooker in terms of the bottom line, such as OPS, wOBA, and wRC+.
Ramirez has broken out the last two seasons for the Rays. Last year, he batted .313/.353/.460 with a .349 wOBA, and 128 wRC+. Ramirez only walked in 5.1% of his plate appearances but had a great 18.2% strikeout rate. While he hit for below-average pop, he did go yard a career-high a dozen times with a .148 isolated slugging percentage. Ramirez has mostly played DH the last two seasons, but he does have experience in the outfield and first base.
Ramirez is only controlled via arbitration for two more years. For Ramirez, I have the D-Backs sending Dominic Fletcher as the headliner in this deal. Fletch made his MLB debut last season and hit well, albeit in only a 102-plate appearance sample size. He slashed .301/.351/.441 with a 113 wRC+. But he looked even better defensively, racking up +4 DRS and +2 OAA in just 219.1 innings in the outfield.
Most of Fletcher's playing time came at Triple-A Reno, where he batted .296/.399/.500 with a .400 wOBA. His 12.6% walk rate was a career-high while his 18.6% K-rate matched a career low for him. Fletcher also had a respectable .209 isolated slugging percentage and ten home runs in 334 plate appearances. Keep in mind that this is the ultra-hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. But even once you adjust to the extreme environment, Fletcher was still a well above-average batter with a 120 wRC+.
Along with Fletcher, I am also including J.J. D'Orazio. D’Orazio batted for a quality .276/.333/.422 line through 441 plate appearances split between Hillsboro and Amarillo. D'Orazio only walked in 7.9% of his plate appearances with a mediocre .146 isolated slugging percentage. But he did have a quality 20.2% strikeout rate. Overall, he had a .341 wOBA and 102 wRC+.
D'Orazio projects to have an average hit tool that he keeps improving. He cut his K% down by nearly 3% from 2022 to 2023. Meanwhile, he started to lift the ball more often. His ground ball rate had gone from 49.5% in 2022 to only 45.3% in 2023. His power is below average, but he should still connect for double-digit home runs. But as a defender, he is above average with a quality arm.
Fletcher gives the Rays another outfield option. Meanwhile, they get a catching prospect in D'Orazio. Right now, there is only one catcher in the Rays' top 30 prospects on MLB Pipeline and only one among their top 50 in FanGraphs, both of which are Dominic Keegan. The D-Backs have an answer at catcher long term as well as outfield. Time to use some of that depth to get a quality DH option like Harold Ramirez.