Three top trade candidates for the Arizona Diamondbacks to consider
The Arizona Diamondbacks should consider going after these three players who would be some of the best trade candidates on the market.
Randy Arozarena
With both Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Tommy Pham hitting free agency, the Diamondbacks are losing some outfield depth. Sure, Jake McCarthy, Dominic Fletcher, or Jorge Barrosa could fill their roles, but what if the Diamondbacks decided to pursue one of the best corner outfielders on the trade market? That would be Randy Arozarena.
Arozarena has been as consistent as they come since his 2021 rookie season. Last year, he batted .254/.364/.425 with a .347 wOBA, and 126 wRC+. He was both a power and speed threat, going yard 23 times with a .171 isolated slugging percentage and swiping 22 bags. Arozarena has been a big leaguer for three full seasons now. His wRC+ has ranged from 124-127 each season, and he has had a 20/20 campaign three times in a row now.
However, there are a lot of positives moving forward for Randy. His 12.2% walk rate was a massive 5.1% uptick from last season. His 23.9% strikeout rate is another career best. Arozarena’s raw power also looked excellent, as he hit career highs in exit velocity (91.7 MPH), hard-hit rate (48.3%), and barrel rate (12.2%). All three were among the top 82nd percentile or better last season. His xwOBA of .352 also points to some improvement next year.
Arozarena’s defense is playable but not great. Defensive runs saved loved his work with +4 in left field. However, outs above average panned his work with -6 OAA. He’s typically been about an average defensive left fielder in the past, and with his offense, average defense is more than passable.
Arozarena is controlled through the 2026 season via arbitration. He won’t be cheap to acquire but he would be worth the cost because you know what you’re going to get. Arozarena is a safe bet for a fourth straight 20/20 season with a wRC+ around 125 or higher.
Jesus Luzardo
The Diamondbacks should counter the LA Dodgers’ trade and subsequent extension of Tyler Glasnow. I also think the Diamondbacks should double-down, and keep adding to their pitching staff. One team who may be willing to trade one of their young starters is the Miami Marlins, and their ace lefty, Jesus Luzardo, has had some rumors swirling around him and could be a great pick-up for the Snakes.
Luzardo broke out in 2023, pitching to a 3.58 ERA, 3.55 FIP, and 1.21 WHIP through 178.1 innings. The lefty also had a quality 28.1% strikeout rate and only walked 7.4% of the batters he faced. His 1.11 HR/9 wasn’t overly impressive, but was still better than the league average. Luzardo was below average in exit velocity (89.5 MPH), hard-hit rate (39.8%), and barrel rate (9.3%).
Luzardo should benefit from better defense. The Marlins had below-average defense, with only -11 defensive runs saved and -28 outs above average. The Diamondbacks, in comparison, had +46 DRS and +31 OAA. The difference is massive, as the Diamondbacks saved 57 more runs and were worth 59 more outs above average compared to the Fish.
The Marlins went into the off-season looking for some help up the middle. Maybe a package headlined by Geraldo Perdomo could get the job done to acquire Luzardo. But it won’t be cheap to get Luzardo overall. He has three more years of control left via arbitration. Either way, imagine if the Diamondbacks were able to get Luzardo in a trade. If that were to happen, Brandon Pfaadt would get pushed to the fifth starter spot, and the D-Backs’ 4th best starter may be Eduardo Rodriguez.
Hoby Milner
The Milwaukee Brewers may be listening to offers regarding their veteran players. If so, they have a handful of bullpen pieces that could be worthwhile and would definitely draw attention on the trade market. The Diamondbacks need another high-leverage pitcher and, preferably, a lefty. If the Brewers are willing to listen to trade offers on him, the Snakes should look into Hoby Milner.
The submarine lefty is coming off a season where he had a 1.82 ERA, 3.13 FIP, and 0.96 WHIP through 64.1 innings. Milner didn’t have a massive strikeout rate, although his 23.4% K-rate was slightly better than average. But he was excellent at limiting walks and home runs with a 5.4% BB% and 0.7 HR/9 rate. Milner is also a ground ball and soft contact specialist.
He had an 86.6 MPH exit velocity, a 6.2% barrel rate, and 35.4% hard-hit rate. Both his exit velo and hard hit rate were above the 90th percentile, while his barrel rate came in the 78th percentile. Milner also had a ground ball rate of 50.9%. This led to a low .254 batting average on balls in play. The Brewers led all National League teams in DRS and OAA, leading all MLB in the latter. But as we discussed earlier, the Diamondbacks are also a strong defensive team. Milner could even see his home run rate go down, as Chase Field is significantly less home run friendly than American Family Field.
Milner is 32 and is controlled for two more seasons. While he is older, Milner has proved to be a quality and durable bullpen arm for two years now. He’s pitched at least 60+ frames each of the last two seasons. He’s not reliant on velocity either, as his fastball averages 89 MPH. Milner fills two needs: another high-leverage reliever and another solid lefty to the bullpen.