MLB Trade Rumors: Diamondbacks acquire Adam Rosales
On the day of the MLB Trade Deadline, the Arizona Diamondbacks made a late move to add depth.
According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Oakland Athletics traded infielder Adam Rosales to the Arizona Diamondbacks. In return, the Athletics received right-handed pitcher Jeferson Mejia.
Mejia has spent the last few seasons in the minor leagues. He has yet to make his major league debut.
On the other hand, Rosales has been a mainstay in the majors since 2008. He has played with a number of teams, including the Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres. Over his career, the 34-year-old has a .228 batting average.
This was the final year of his contract, so it made sense for the Athletics to part ways with him. Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks are in need of some help in the infield if they plan to make a run for the playoffs.
While the Athletics are in last place in the American League West, the Diamondbacks sit in second in the National League West. As of Monday, they lead the NL Wild Card by 1/2 game over divisional foe Colorado Rockies.
It’s unclear how much playing time Rosales will receive in Arizona. He is a right-handed batter, and all of their infield starters are either switch hitters or right-handed. However, the team could use this depth. As Ken Rosenthal of Fox notes, back-up infielder Ketel Marte will soon be leaving the team due to the death of his mother.
Following the trade, the Diamondbacks immediately placed Chris Owings on the 60-day disabled list due to a fractured middle finger.
Rosales must be happy with this move because he was a likely candidate to be designated for assignment. With Chad Pinder coming off the DL, he could have lost his spot on the roster, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.