Things are going from bad to worse regarding the state of the Arizona Diamondbacks' bullpen. Specifically regarding their closers, the team has lost both A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez, and is actively looking for reinforcements in the trade market.
Puk has been out of action for two weeks after posting a respectable 3.38 ERA and 12 Ks in 8.0 innings pitched. He had recorded five saves in his eight appearances. Once Puk went down, Justin Martinez took over, looking even better with a 2.70 ERA in 12 appearances and three saves on the season. The D-backs can only hope Martínez's shoulder inflammation is nothing more serious and they begin a closer-by-committee approach for the foreseeable future.
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Could the Cardinals and Diamondbacks link up in a trade?
Given that it's only May, making any meaningful upgrades via trade will be hard. Teams typically wait to trade their valuable assets until more teams come calling at the MLB trade deadline. Back-end of the bullpen types, in particular, are some of the more sought-after positions at the deadline, and it would be foolish for a team not to wait until they can get full value for a key player via trade.
That being said, one name that we can keep an eye on is St. Louis Cardinals' Ryan Helsley. With rumors growing by the day, Helsley is likely as good as gone once the deadline approaches. I don't foresee the Cardinals jumping the gun on the trade market, unless they get an offer they can't refuse. The Diamondbacks are in win-now mode, and a team like the Cardinals will likely prefer to trade Helsley outside of the division instead of to rival teams such as the Cubs, who are also bullpen needy.
Currently 13th in MLB in terms of bullpen ERA with a mark of 3.73, D-Backs fans can expect a mix of Ryan Thompson, Shelby Miller, and Kevin Ginkel to appear in the 9th inning. Whoever looks the best will get the role in the immediate future, but look for the D-Backs to remain active wherever they can find an upgrade. It remains to be seen how serious a team like the Cardinals gets before the deadline, and I wouldn't expect a big trade from Arizona until the end of July, but Helsley is the guy to keep an eye on.