Which Players Could Benefit if the Diamondbacks Sell?

If the Arizona Diamondbacks indeed sell at the deadline, it should be expected that they shop around all their expiring contracts. Not just players under control for this season, but also 2026. That doesn’t necessarily mean pulling the trigger on a deal, unless it’s a player they have no chance to re-sign or extend the qualifying offer to.

As the team starts selling off pieces from the roster, someone has to fill their place. Here are some players who could benefit from the team selling at the deadline and get some major league looks.

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Starting Pitching: Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly

The D-backs have a strong case to hold onto Gallen and Kelly. Gallen is a qualifying offer candidate after the season despite a rough contract year. Kelly has deep ties to Arizona and is an extension/re-sign candidate after the season.

However, if they move either one or both, they’ll need to fill spots in the rotation. Earlier this month, I examined the pitching prospects in Triple-A Reno and concluded they aren’t going to help much. But this is now a situation where reps matter more than wins.

Bryce Jarvis and Dylan Ray would be the top two candidates, followed by Spencer Giesting and Yu-Min Lin. However, all of them have concerning strikeout and walk rates. None of them have a K-BB% above 8%, which to me indicates clear command issues and possible stuff problems to boot. K-BB% isn’t a perfect stat on its own, but it is my gateway stat to evaluating pitching prospects.

If healthy, Cristian Mena would have been ready to take over, but it’s also possible he’s thrown his last pitch in 2025 due to a teres major injury. It’s tough to project him in next year’s rotation as a result.

Jarvis has never been used as a traditional starter at the major league level, but has been used in various relief roles the past three seasons. His career-high in innings is four, his last outing in the major leagues.

Lin has struggled with walks (12.6%) and home runs (1.71 HR/9). Giesting has a negative K-BB% (15.4 K%, 17.1 BB%). Ray has been hit hard (47.2% hard-hit rate, 12.0% barrel rate). It’s hard to gauge readiness for these three pitchers based off of these results.

First Base/Designated Hitter: Josh Naylor and Randal Grichuk

Like Gallen, Naylor is a potential qualifying offer candidate. I don’t necessarily think he’s worth $21 million per se, but it’s not unrealistic to see him get a three-year deal worth more than $50 million with his track record at the plate. So the team can be more judicious toward keeping Naylor if the return is too light.

The obvious candidate to take over at first base is Tristin English, who is already on the roster. Catcher Adrian Del Castillo could also benefit, as the team should also be shopping Randal Grichuk.

With Triple-A Reno, Del Castillo is slashing .288/.386/.559 with four home runs and a 146 wRC+ in 70 plate appearances. His hard-hit rate is at 34.1%, a significant jump from when I last looked at it, and a barrel rate of 14.6%. Ideally, he would get more time to feel more comfortable with the shoulder in Reno, but the needs of the major league roster come first.

Del Castillo likely isn’t an option at first base, or catcher for that matter, but could get a look as the primary DH vs. righties while Pavin Smith is on the IL. Smith is dealing with an oblique strain, although it’s unclear how long he will be out for. A Grade 1 strain is a four-week absence, and then there would have to be a rehab assignment with an affiliate, as the Complex League season ends in nine days.

Third Base: Eugenio Suárez

Even though it appears Suárez is having a career year with the home runs, the declining strikeout and walk rates are problematic for projecting him forward. As such, I don’t see him as a qualifying offer candidate. He would be a candidate to re-sign to a one-year deal (~13-14 million), and hold the gap until the organization develops a third baseman from their farm system.

The D-backs lack internal options at the third base position that can help them win in 2026. The least awful option is to give Jordan Lawlar a runway in the final two months and see if consistent playing time leads to anything. LuJames Groover III has an ETA of late-2026, so they need to have someone available to bridge the gap.

Lawlar has struggled with injuries over his career, with hamstring issues popping up in each of the past two seasons. As a player whose value is predicated on speed, those are very debilitating injuries. He’s expected to return right around the trade deadline.

Ildemaro Vargas is currently on the 10-day injured list with a fractured fifth metatarsal, which will keep him out until August. So that means their best candidate to fill in for Suárez is currently Blaze Alexander.

Alexander is a player without a clear defensive home or path to a role at the major league level, so this may be his one and only opportunity to show he still belongs. He’s run out of minor league options this season and is a potential DFA candidate in the offseason.

Bullpen: Kendall Graveman, Jalen Beeks

Due to the injuries in the bullpen, the D-backs don’t have much to sell. Shelby Miller would have been their best trade candidate, and could have gotten a decent return, but he’s dealing with a forearm strain and consulting with Dr. Keith Meister.

Trading Graveman and Beeks would be more about clearing space for more controllable arms. Andrew Saalfrank, Kyle Backhus, Juan Morillo are current options on the 40-man roster to take a deeper look at toward the end of the season.

There are two more potential arms in Reno worth a look as well. The team needs to add more roster flexibility to their bullpen, as they will be shuttling arms to and from Triple-A. That comes with the success and failures associated with young relievers.

2026 Pieces: A.J. Puk, Kevin Ginkel, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Ryan Thompson

Puk is out until the middle of 2026, recovering from elbow surgery (not Tommy John). Trading him would be getting pennies on the dollar, especially for a modest salary requirement.

Ginkel has a pretty extensive track record as a late-inning reliever. Given the team’s lack of late-inning options in 2026, they’re more likely to hold onto him. They could also sell high on the right-hander, as he’s pitched scoreless baseball in 8 of his last 10 appearances.

Thompson is shelved with a scapularis strain in his right shoulder. It’s unlikely the D-backs move him at the deadline. He’s gotten decent results in 2025, but a steep drop in ground ball rate is concerning about projecting him for 2026.

Gurriel is probably the most difficult hold or sell decision the organization can face. He has an opt-out after this season, but given his mediocre 2025 season and declining defense, it’s hard to believe he’ll get a better deal in the open market. The motivation to move him is to get more range and athleticism in the outfield, although their internal options for left field aren’t necessarily good either.

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D-backs Under Review is Michael McDermott’s publication for deep analysis dives, game coverage, prospect coverage, and breaking down the biggest news topics involving the Arizona Diamondbacks. Michael has been writing about the D-backs since the 2015 season, with stops at AZ Snake Pit, Diamondbacks On SI, Venom Strikes, and Burn City Sports. He has covered over 40 MLB games at Chase Field and the Arizona Fall League.

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