The Arizona Diamondbacks aren’t overreacting to trade rumors despite a disappointing start to their season.
The 2012 Miami Marlins should serve as a cautionary tale that making the splashiest moves during the offseason doesn’t always lead to success. The same could be said of the 2013 Toronto Blue Jays. Or the 2015 Chicago White Sox. Or the 2015 San Diego Padres.
It’s quite possible the 2016 Arizona Diamondbacks could join that inglorious fraternity. The Diamondbacks were a popular pick to compete for the National League West title—or at least a Wild Card—due to their headline-grabbing offseason acquisitions. The two biggest moves were luring Zack Greinke away from their division foes in Chavez Ravine and giving a king’s ransom to the Atlanta Braves for the services of pitcher Shelby Miller.
Things have not gone according to plan: Center fielder A.J. Pollock, an under-rated Most Valuable Player candidate and centerpiece of 2015’s best defensive outfield, broke his elbow in a meaningless exhibition April 1, just days before the season was to begin; Miller has been a shell of the pitcher he was in St. Louis and Atlanta; and Greinke had an earned run average above 5.00 midway through May.
The Diamondbacks are 26-36 and sit 10.5 games behind the division-leading San Francisco Giants and are 7.5 games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates for the second Wild Card. Chief Baseball Officer Tony La Russa has said the team won’t start shopping it’s players because it’s too early to give up on 2016; the cost of giving away prospects is high; and the moves made this offseason were made with future success in mind.
While they’re sitting on what they have, the Diamondbacks’ plans could change over the coming months.
Next: The Diamondacks' wacky season