Diamondbacks September 1st Roster Expansion Possibilities

The D-backs will add a pitcher and a position player in four days. We take a look at who they are likely to be.

May 22, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker (53) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks have ridden a deep 40-man roster all year, filling in for injured players with a great deal of success. The "next man up" motto echoes throughout the clubhouse and interview rooms.

With the team boasting a 75-57 record and sitting atop the NL Wild Card standings, the team's front office under Mike Hazen has done an excellent job making sure Torey Lovullo and his coaching staff have the right players at the right time.

Throughout major league baseball, teams will be expanding to 28-man rosters on September creating more flexibility and depth. For the Diamondbacks the possibilities are intriguing, in no small part due to the expected return of several injured players.

During his pre-game press conference today Torey Lovullo confirmed that those discussions between himself and the front office just started today. "We were throwing some names around in my office."

The team will be bringing up one pitcher and one hitter, although Lovullo said that with the imminent return of Christian Walker and Ketel Marte, that could impact their decisions. There is a summary at the bottom of the article, but the detailed breakdown explains how we got there.

PITCHERS

Pitchers currently in the minor leagues that are already on the 40-Man roster include right-handers Slade Cecconi, Yilber Diaz, and Scott McGough. Left-handers include Tommy Henry and Blake Walston.

With left-hander Jordan Montgomery already serving as the long man out of the pen, it's unlikely they turn to Henry or Walston, who are both starting.

McGough is the most experienced right-hand short and middle reliever. But he has not been effective in the majors this year, posting a 6.83 ERA with a 1.623 WHIP in 29 innings. With Triple-A Reno he has a 3.99 ERA, but a similar WHIP of 1.636. He has been struggling with control, walking eight batters in his last three outings.

Slade Cecconi was converted to relief work earlier in the season and was recalled briefly to work out to the pen but was ineffective. His results since going back to Reno have been mixed.

Perhaps the most intriguing pitching option is Yliber Diaz. The fireballing young right-hander made four starts in July, three of which he gave up either one or zero runs. He had a single blowup outing agains the Kansas City Royals, inflating his ERA to 4.05. Nonetheless it was still an impressive first taste for the now 24-year-old.

Since being sent back to Reno Diaz has a 2.82 ERA in 22.2 innings, and a stellar 29/4 strikeout to walk ratio. He was spectacular in his most recent start, striking out 13 in 6.2 innings while allowing just two runs, one earned.

The D-backs may wish to keep him stretched out, as if they need to bring up a starter he could be the most impactful arm they have. But the thought of Diaz working out of the bullpen with 97 MPH fastballs mixed in with his slider and curveball in September, and possibly even the postseason is tantalizing.

POSITION PLAYERS

Pavin Smith and Josh Bell are both currently on the roster. When Christian Walker comes back, having both of those players would be redundant. Bell does not have options and Smith does. So there is very little chance that all three of these players would be on the roster at the same time, Smith will likely be the odd man out.

The complicating issue is whether Walker can be activated September 1st, or if that will take until a few days later. That will depend on how he does when he plays this weekend in continuation camp at Salt River Fields.

While Lovullo at first said that Walker was unlikely to return this week during the series against the Dodgers, he backtracked and didn't completely rule out a September 1st return for Walker.

If Walker returns on September 1st, then Smith goes down, but there is still an open spot on the roster. At that point it comes down to outfielder Jorge Barrosa or infielder Blaze Alexander. With Luis Guillorme now on the MLB roster it would seem that Alexander is not needed in the short term.

Barrosa is a good defensive outfielder with a strong arm who can serve as a late inning replacement and pinch runner.

The last and final question then becomes what happens to Guillorme when Ketel Marte returns. That is expected to be sometime next week as well, either for the series in San Francisco starting September 3rd, or the series in Houston starting September 6th.

At that point the team will need to decide if they want extra coverage in the infield, thus keeping Guillorme, or if they want to keep Barrosa.

SUMMARY

Expect the Diamondbacks to call up a right-hander. It will most likely be Scott McGough, due to his experience, but Yilber Diaz would be a creative choice if the team is comfortable converting him to relief work for September and possibly even October.

On the position player side, the picture may still be murky on September 1st but by the time the team reaches Houston we expect Christian Walker and Ketel Marte to both be back. Adding those two position players means at least one needs to go, and that is likely Pavin Smith. The final position player spot will come down to infielder Guillorme or outfielder Barrosa.