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We’re currently about six weeks away from the trade deadline, but it’s never too early to try and gauge the direction in which the team will be going. That said, much will depend on the results between now and then. In particular, I suspect what the team does through the nineteen
games remaining before the All-Star break will factor heavily into things. Right now, the D-backs sit at exactly .500, and you could easily imagine scenarios where the team’s record breaks sharply, in either direction. Perhaps they remember how to hit with runners in scoring position. Or, perhaps the rotation continues to fall apart.
With a tough schedule going into the break, I’d not be surprised to see the team fall below .500. But that doesn’t necessarily mean going into sell mode. Going into play today, just three games cover fifth down to eleventh place in the National League standings, and arguably, only the Mets, Giants and (inevitably) the Rockies are really out of the picture. There’s a case to be made that simply hanging around until the final month of the season, and making a September push, is all that Arizona needs to do. There’s a 16-game spell beginning August 27, where 13 games are against opponents currently with losing records.
But right now, what would you say the D-backs strategy towards the deadline should be? And if it’s still too early and with too mediocre a record to come to any conclusion, what benchmarks in terms of date and W/L position, would you need to see to make a decision? Poll is below, and as ever, explain your decision in more depth in the comments.
