When the Arizona Diamondbacks signed Corbin Burnes to a six-year, $210 million deal, it became apparent that they were all-in on a World Series title. Well, the team has gotten off to a bit of a rocky start, and now has suffered what looks like a season-altering blow with Corbin Burnes.
As FanSided's Robert Murray reported, Burnes will undergo Tommy John Surgery. Not only will he miss the remainder of this season, but he will likely miss most, if not all, of the 2026 campaign as well. This doesn't come as a surprise considering how Burnes acted when he suffered the injury, but that doesn't make the outcome any easier for Diamondbacks fans to deal with.
Burnes had a 2.66 ERA in his first 11 starts of the year, proving to be the best and most consistent starting pitcher the Diamondbacks had to offer. Now, without him, it's hard to envision a path forward for the 31-31 Diamondbacks in an impossibly difficult NL West that doesn't include them selling at this year's trade deadline.
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Corbin Burnes' injury sealed the Diamondbacks trade deadline fate
A .500 record isn't an awful place to be, but the Diamondbacks sit in fourth place in the NL West, and are 3.5 games back of the third-place San Francisco Giants while also sitting 3.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot, with them needing to jump a pair of teams to squeak in.
Their postseason path would've been tough with Burnes, imagine how tough it'll be without him. Even with Burnes, Arizona's 4.45 starting pitching ERA was good for 24th in the majors. Without him, it might be one of the worst units in the majors, even if the players in the rotation should be better than they have been.
A sudden hot streak might change things, but without that, selling really does feel like the only option for the Diamondbacks.
Diamondbacks can dominate the trade deadline
If the Diamondbacks go down the selling path, they have an abundance of players they can trade virtually all over the diamond. If they sell enough of their players, they can truly dominate the deadline.
The headliner of their potential deadline sell-off would be Zac Gallen, one of the best pitchers in the NL in recent years. He's had a rough season thus far, but his track record speaks for itself. With how many teams need starting pitching, he and another pending free agent, Merrill Kelly, become prime targets for contending clubs.
Offensively, both Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez are upcoming free agents, and Randal Grichuk has a mutual option in his contract. All three of these bats can be difference-makers in the right situations, and should net Arizona strong returns in a deadline that likely won't feature many great position player talent. The Diamondbacks could even dangle a player like Geraldo Perdomo, who is under control for several years and has played great, but is blocking top prospect Jordan Lawlar.
Even in the bullpen, guys like Shelby Miller and Jalen Beeks are intriguing targets for contending teams. Everyone needs bullpen help this time of year, and the Diamondbacks can take advantage of that.
Selling isn't what any Diamondbacks fan would've hoped for, but it's a way for the organization to somewhat salvage what's amounting to a lost season.