Does Texas Trading for Chapman Create Urgency for D-backs?

A thin market for buyers just got thinner, making it harder for Mike Hazen to add to pitching staff

Mike Hazen has made it clear on multiple occasions in multiple interviews that he considers the Diamondbacks to be buyers at or before the trade deadline. He is in the market for both starting and relief pitching, and also a "big bat".  But with so few teams clearly in the extreme seller position, he's also stated it's difficult to make a trade until the market becomes more clear. MLB Standings

It wasn't too difficult for the Rangers yesterday, who pulled the trigger on getting one of the top power arms in the game in Aroldis Chapman.  Surprisingly perhaps, they did not have to give up any of their top 30 ranked prospects. The cost was Cole Ragans and Roni Cabrera.  Ragans was a former 1st round draft pick, 30th overall in 2016. Now 25 he's pitched in each of the last two seasons and in 26 games, nine starts has a 5.32 ERA.  Cabrera is 17 years old playing in his second season in the Dominican summer league. 

Chapman comes with some baggage and question marks, no doubt. But in 31 games, 29 innings he has a 2.45 ERA while striking out a whopping 53 batters. The ever present walks are there too, with 20. But overall he's having an excellent season. He will be a free agent after the 2023 season. 

The Diamondbacks have a unique opportunity, and Hazen is under a lot of pressure from fans and media to make some moves sooner rather than later to shore up the rotation and the bullpen. But Hazen is not going to be rushed, and has stated publicly that he feels the market needs more time to develop clearly.  Whether or not the Rangers have upset that timing for him is not known, but the steady and methodical GM is unlikely to be rushed or make a large overpay for rental players. 

MLB Standings

Potential AL Sellers

The obvious sellers are still the Royals, who have other pieces they could trade and the Oakland A's.  The White Sox and Tigers are 10 games and 9.5 games back respectively in the Wild Card hunt, but just 5.5 and 5.0 games back in their division. With a shot to get back in the division hunt with a short winning streak, they are not quite there yet when it comes to deciding to be sellers. 

Then you have teams like the Mariners and Red Sox, who are double digits back in their division races, but just 6.0 and 4.5 games back in the Wild Card race.   Here again a short win streak by either team puts them right back in the middle of the playoff hunt. 

Potential NL Sellers

The Nationals and Rockies are two teams that clearly are, or should be sellers.  Way back in both their divisional and Wild Card races, they should be moving whatever trade pieces are not nailed down to improve their future. 

Then there are three teams grappling with the shocking realization they are not contenders this year, despite massive investments in their team and high pre season expectations.  The Mets are 10 games under .500 , hopelessly out of the divisional race and 10 games back in the Wild Card. They already made one sell move, trading Eduardo Escobar to the Angels last week. But their owner did not explicitly say they are seller yet. 

That Cardinals are 14 games under .500, and double digits back in both the Wild Card and their divisional race. They should be moving into the clear cut seller category by now, and likely will be soon. 

Perhaps most shockingly of all, the Padres are nine games back in the wild card, and 11.5 games back in the NL West. Another bad week or two and they'll probably start trying to move players. 

The Cubs and Pirates are 7.0 and 6.5 games back in the Wild Card but just 5.0 and 4.5 games back in the NL Central. 

Summary: 

Certain Sellers:  A's, Royals, Rockies, Nationals

Likely Sellers: White Sox, Tigers, Mets, Cardinals, Padres

Getting close, but not there yet: Mariners, Red Sox, Cubs and Pirates

For a patient GM, there still could be between 10-12 teams that are ready to sell by the last week of July. If some team overpays early to get talent that could set the market high initially, but in the game of musical chairs that sometimes occurs near the very end of the deadline, bargains can still be had.