Introduction
The Diamondbacks entered August 3rd, the day of the trade deadline with a 59-53 record, 10 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West Division, but holding down the 2nd NL wild card slot. While Fanduel gives the Diamondbacks +8000 odds, or just a 1.23% chance of winning the World Series, their playoff odds are much better, at +108 or a 48.08% chance of making the postseason. Fanduel has no odds for the NL West division listed, which really isn’t a surprise considering the significant
lead the Dodgers have over the Diamondbacks. However, the Diamondbacks have fairly good odds of making the postseason through the wildcard with the 6th seed at +320 (23.81%), the 5th seed at +460 (17.86%), and the 4th seed at +950 (9.52%).
What were the Diamondbacks needs entering the deadline?
The Diamondbacks had three items on their wishlist for the trade deadline. The team has struggled against RHP, so a left handed bat was probably at the top of the list. The second item on the deadline wishlist was a LHP reliever, which would have allowed the lone lefty in the bullpen, Brandyn Garcia, to move into the closer role. A cost controlled starting pitcher to provide depth to a starting rotation that has struggled with ineffectiveness and injuries was the third and final item on the to-do list.
What Moves Did The D-backs Make at the Deadline?
Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen waited until just before the deadline to make his lone move, acquiring LHB outfielder Lars Nootbar from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for RHP prospect Daniel Eagen, LHP Sandro Santana, and a player to be named later.
While we won’t know who the PTBNL is until later in the year, we can discuss two out of three prospects now. Daniel Eagen entered the 2026 season as the team’s top pitching prospect, but their #5 prospect overall. While he hasn’t exactly dominated AA, putting up a 4.95 ERA, that still works out to an above average ERA- of 84. In addition, Eagen has had impressive strikeout numbers with a 29.3% strikeout percentage. That 4.95 ERA is also a definite improvement over the 5.49 ERA he posted in Amarillo last season. Sandro Santana wasn’t really a ranked prospect entering the season (#32 according to Fangraphs), but he has broken out in 2026, putting up a 2.93 ERA in 30.2 innings in A+ Hillsboro, and a miniscule 0.57 ERA in AA Amarillo in 15.2 innings there. Even excluding the PTBNL I’m not exactly a fan of the deal; if it is any actual prospect, this deal looks even worse for Arizona.
Despite the pessimistic takes on social media amongst D-backs fans, Nootbar can be viewed as an upgrade in a number of areas and is a great fit for the Diamondbacks clubhouse and their brand of baseball. While Nootbar isn’t technically a ‘righty masher’ per se, he has posted strong numbers against RHP this season, which is an area the team looked into to improve entering the deadline. In the 2026 season, Nootbar has put up a .737 OPS and 108 wRC+ against RHP. For his career, Nootbar has had even better numbers against RHP with a .765 OPS and a 114 wRC+. On top of all of that, he’s been better in the second half of the season throughout his career, posting .772 OPS/117 wRC+, compared to just a .713 OPS/101 wRC+ in the first half. While Chase Field isn’t a huge improvement over Busch stadium as far as the HR park factors go, it should be a significant improvement for his ability to hit doubles and triples. Even with the weaker numbers against RHP this season, Nootbar would be the D-backs second or third best hitter against RHP immediately, which probably says more about how bad the team has been in that aspect than it says about Nootbar.
Looking at the defensive side of the game, Nootbar is an above average defender who brings a strong (89th percentile) arm in the outfield, the latter being something the D-backs haven’t had in a very long time. Nootbar should slot in immediately as the team’s starting left fielder against RHP, with Kepler sliding over to the DH slot. If the D-backs make the postseason, Nootbar would also take Kepler’s spot as he’s ineligible for the postseason due to his steroid related suspension.
Taking all that in consideration, I actually like this trade more than I did initially, so I’m giving it a B+. Sure, it may not be the most exciting move, but it does fill a definite need and there’s a lot of upside here. If there’s actually a 2027 season, Nootbar is also under control for that season as well.
Grading the Deadline
Like most of the pundits covering the D-backs, I can’t say I am exactly happy with the results of this deadline. However, unlike most of the fans, I understand that the Diamondbacks for whatever reason just couldn’t make the right deals happen. The fact that the rest of the team’s rivals in the division and the wildcard race got better does makes the lack of moves hurt a lot more than it would otherwise.
I would give Arizona a B- grade for this trade deadline – although that’s more for the moves Hazen didn’t make than any he made. He could have easily traded away a Ryan Waldschmidt or top prospect Demetrio Crisantes, which was a price I definitely wouldn’t be happy with. Even if Eagen and Santana turn out to be a MLB caliber starting pitcher and elite reliever, it was unlikely to happen in Arizona’s farm system due to their struggles developing pitchers in the inflated run environment of Amarillo and Reno. Understanding the complications of the upcoming CBA negotiations, the cost of pitching during this deadline, but more importantly the fact that Gm Mike Hazen did make an honest effort to make some deals happens goes a long way in earning that B- grade from me. Fans may not like it, but that’s the reality that we have to live with.
Conclusion
While it was (understandably) a disappointing deadline for Diamondbacks fans expecting some blockbuster moves for a Tarik Skubal or a Luis Garcia Jr, it’s pretty clear that just wasn’t going to happen. The Diamondbacks just didn’t hold the right cards prospect-wise, nor was GM Mike Hazen willing to trade away pieces from the MLB roster. The one move that he was able to make does improve the roster, even if it isn’t by as much as fans would have liked.
