What the Arizona Diamondbacks' risky, but necessary, trade deadline strategy looks like

The Arizona Diamondbacks are currently in postseason position, holding the second of three National League wild cards. However, there are four teams within 2 ½ games of the Diamondbacks in the wild card race – the Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, Miami Marlins and Pittsburgh Pirates. That is a lot of competitors for manager Torey Lovullo and his team to track.

With the calendar flipping to August, is it time for the Diamondbacks to start scoreboard watching? Not for Lovullo.

“We’ve learned that you can't get too sidetracked by what's going on around you,” the 10th-year manager said. “And I think the experience will play out and that we will focus on our dugout and play our game and then enjoy what happened that night and get ready for the next day. The last three weeks of the season, I think, is where you really start to scoreboard watch. I think things are very defined by that time. I haven’t looked at the scoreboard. I feel like I can probably take the temperature for the team based on what I'm doing. I think they're focused on today.”

Luxury tax a factor for Diamondbacks

The deadline is Monday night, and the Diamondbacks could be pretty much who they are now when it passes. General Manager Mike Hazen is working the phones this weekend just like his 29 counterparts.

However, there is a strong sense that the Diamondbacks will not make any blockbuster moves. Complicating matters is that the Diamondbacks are approximately just $10 million under the first luxury tax threshold.

There has been speculation that the Diamondbacks might try to free up money by trading three-time All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte, who is in the second season of a six-year, $105-million contract. Marte has been the source of clubhouse friction in the past and recently scrubbed his social media accounts of all things Diamondbacks-related. However, a team source termed the chances of a Marte trade as being “unlikely.”

Starting pitching is the Diamondbacks’ most pressing need with right-handers Zac Gallen and Ryne Nelson out indefinitely with elbow problems. Those injuries have forced the Diamondbacks to put rookie left-handers Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake into the rotation.

The Diamondbacks have interest in Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes, two New York Mets right-handers who are on expiring contracts.

Adding a left-handed hitter is also on the Diamondbacks’ wish list, and they’ve talked to the St. Louis Cardinals about first baseman Alec Burleson and outfielders Lars Nootbar. Another possibility is Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho, who spent his first three major-league seasons with the Diamondbacks.

Diamondbacks are on a roll

While the Diamondbacks would like to add to their team, it might be wise not to mess too much with a good thing. The Diamondbacks are playing their best baseball of the season with 14 wins in their last 19 games. Arizona was two games under .500 with a 45-47 record before their surge began on July 9.

“It’s culmination of everything coming together,” catcher James McCann said of the Diamondbacks’ surge. “If you look at our run differential (plus-7), it’s indicative of our season. We've had games where we've boat-raced teams and games where teams boat-raced us. We’ve won one-run games, and we’ve lost one-run games. The last several weeks, it’s all started to come together where our hitting and pitching are both doing well at the same time. We have a good team, and this is how we are capable of playing.”, with our hitting and pitching

One veteran Diamondbacks player who will soon be paying closer attention to the standings is third baseman Nolan Arenado.

“Maybe after the (trade) deadline,” Arenado told FanSided. “That's when you start to really pay attention, right? Because that's when you really find out who you are."

More MLB news and analysis:

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow