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Report: Diamondbacks Acquire A.J. Puk in Trade With Marlins

Tom Dierberger

Marlins pitcher A.J. Puk pitches against the Guardians in the seventh inning at loanDepot Park.
Marlins pitcher A.J. Puk pitches against the Guardians in the seventh inning at loanDepot Park. / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
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The Arizona Diamondbacks made a significant move Thursday to bolster their bullpen ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported Thursday that the Diamondbacks acquired left-handed reliever A.J. Puk in a trade with the Miami Marlins in exchange for prospects Deyvison De Los Santos and Andrew Pintar.

The 29-year-old Puk appeared in 32 games for the Marlins this season, registering a 4.30 ERA and 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings with one save. He led Miami with 15 saves last season.

The No. 6 pick by the Oakland Athletics in the 2016 MLB draft, Puk has logged a 3.85 ERA and 228 strikeouts in 191 2/3 career innings pitched.

Puk is a big addition to Arizona's bullpen, which ranks 22nd in baseball with a 4.24 ERA and 27th in WHIP (1.37). He gives Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo a high-leverage left-handed arm that can set the table for closer Paul Sewald, who has converted 15 of 18 save opportunities this season.

Puk is under team control for two more seasons and is set to hit free agency in 2027.

The Diamondbacks paid a hefty price to acquire the lefty, however. De Los Santos is having a stellar year in the minors, batting .325/.376/.635 with 28 homers in 87 games split between Double-A and Triple-A. Pintar, a fifth-round pick in 2022, has logged an .852 OPS with 19 stolen bases in 69 games across three minor league levels, working his way up to Double-A this summer.

Arizona started off the 2024 campaign rather sluggish after making a surprise run to the 2023 World Series, but it is 30–18 since June and is within one game of the final NL wild-card spot.

The Puk trade marks the first notable move in the week leading up to the 2024 MLB trade deadline, which is set for July 30 at 6 p.m. ET.

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Tom Dierberger

TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.

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