1. OF Daulton Varsho (Blue Jays)
If you didn’t know, Dualton Varsho was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays this past December. The deal was kind to both sides as the D-Backs got two intriguing players in Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Gabriel Moreno. Despite the excitement of the two new additions, most fans are sad to lose Varsho as he is a talented all-around player.
Many baseball fans do not look at defensive stats but when it comes to Varsho, that is where you find how truly valuable he was for the D-Backs. According to baseball savant, Varsho was #1 in the league among outfielders in OAA with 18. Outs Above Average (OAA) is the cumulative effect of all individual plays a fielder has been credited or debited with, making it a range-based metric of fielding skill that accounts for the number of plays made and the difficulty of them. For example, a fielder who catches a 25% Out Probability play gets +.75; one who fails to make the play gets -.25. This means that Varsho was considered the most valuable defensive outfielder in the game a season ago. Pair that with a 27-HR, 74-RBI, .745 OPS season, and this becomes a tough loss for the D-Backs.
We will know who won the trade in a couple of seasons, but for now, this one stings…
2. OF Jordan Luplow (Braves)
Jordan Luplow is now a member of the stacked Atlanta Braves. In 2022, Luplow played 83 games. In 205 ABs he slashed .176/.274/.361; finishing with a .635 OPS. Not great for a guy who finished the 2021 season with a .780 OPS…
It is safe to say that Luplow was a little bit of a disappointment. The D-Backs brought him in thinking he could be an everyday outfielder but he couldn’t seem to put up the offensive production he did in the past. He finished the season with an OAA of 1; making him a reliable outfielder on the defensive side of the game but in today’s MLB, if you can’t get on base you will be out the door rather quickly…
3. RP Ian Kennedy (Rangers)
Speaking of disappointments, new Texas Rangers addition Ian Kennedy struggled in 2022…
Sometimes all players need is a change of scenery to revamp their career; hopefully, for Kennedy, going back to Texas will do just that. In 2021, Kennedy posted impressive numbers with the Rangers. In 32 games that season, he was a star; 2.51 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and in 17 save opportunities, he got the job done 16 times. For the Diamondbacks, Kennedy was anything but that pitcher. In 57 games with the D-Backs, Kennedy posted a 4-7 record, a 5.36 ERA, a 1.57 WHIP, and out of 16 save opportunities he blew 6 of them. Not ideal…
Unfortunately, fans usually do not care about the personality of a professional athlete; only their performance. So I think it is safe to say, that D-Backs fans will not be crying over the departure of Ian Kennedy…