Arizona Diamondbacks Prospects That May Help Down the Stretch
By Jason Burke
While the NL Wild Card race is becoming less of a competition and more of a foregone conclusion by the day, the NL West divisional race is picking up steam with the Los Angeles Dodgers throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. L.A. acquired Chase Utley last week, then declared that Joc Pederson will be removed as the everyday centerfielder, clearing way for Enrique Hernandez and his hot bat to be inserted into the everyday lineup. Kike is batting .327 in August compared to Pederson’s .122 mark, but it still smells of desperation. The San Francisco Giants went 2-5 last week against the Cardinals and Pirates and are set to welcome the Cubs to the City by the Bay for a three-game set starting Tuesday before facing the Red Birds for another three this weekend. These same Cubs swept the Giants in four games at Wrigley at the beginning of the month.
With the two teams ahead of them faltering, the Arizona Diamondbacks have gained some ground in the division–their only feasible way to make the playoffs–now trailing the Dodgers by just 5.5 games. With 38 games left that deficit is certainly manageable, especially with many of the remaining games on the schedule being against divisional foes. In those 38 games, the Diamondbacks will face the Dodgers seven times (3 at home, 4 on the road) for better or worse. On the season, Arizona holds a 3-9 record against Los Angeles, so those seven games could either make things very interesting–or essentially end the D’Backs season.
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With the month of September just a week away, and with it September call-ups (where the Major League rosters expand to include the entire 40-man roster if a team desires), Arizona could use some reinforcements to help propel them during the final month of the season.
Archie Bradley is the first name that may come to mind. Bradley was just activated from the 15-day disabled list on Monday and optioned to Triple-A Reno. Bradley is on the team’s 40-man roster, and will likely get a start or two in before joining the big league team. With Arizona this season, Bradley went 2-3 with a 5.80 ERA in eight starts, walking nearly as many (22) as he struck out (23). At this point in time, Bradley will likely be used as an innings-eater to conserve what has been a solid bullpen for the Diamondbacks, posting a 3.31 ERA this season, good for 5th in the NL.
Zack Godley was optioned to Mobile (Double-A) Monday to make room for Jhoulys Chacin on the roster, but Godley has been superb donning Sedona red, going 4-0 in five appearances (three starts) while accumulating a 1.90 ERA. Godley could pitch meaningful innings in either the rotation or out of the bullpen down the stretch. The rotation could use some support, posting a 4.42 ERA this season, 12th in the NL.
One player that is not on the 40-man roster, but has a decent chance of being added is right-hander Aaron Blair, Arizona’s #3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Blair was selected 36th overall in the 2013 draft and holds a 3.30 ERA over ten starts with Reno, striking out 50 while walking 22. Blair is also on a decent streak, allowing just four earned over his last 24 innings pitched. There are a couple of players that could be removed to make room for Blair on the roster, namely Allen Webster and A.J. Schugel who have both struggled, posting ERAs of 8.37 and 10.36 in Triple-A this season. Both players would need to be added back to the 40-man roster at the risk of being selected in the Rule 5 Draft in December. Blair’s fastball and changeup are his two best pitches with his heater hitting at least 95.
Offensively the Arizona Diamondbacks are rolling, ranking 4th in baseball in runs scored with 567, just two behind Boston for third place, and tops in the National League. That said, Jamie Romak, who received a brief look in the bigs earlier this month going 3-for-10 with a double and two runs scored in limited action could be a solid addition. With Reno this season Romak has hit a team-leading 24 homers and also driven in a team-high 92, all while batting .283 with a .369 on-base percentage. He could be a weapon off the bench, or used to rest some players down the stretch.
If the D’Backs can just hold their own against the Dodgers over seven games, they have a decent shot at taking their playoff hopes into the final week, having played the Giants tough all season, holding a 7-6 record against San Francisco. Arizona has six games left with each of San Francisco, Colorado and San Diego, with each team hosting one series.