In one of the most definitive statements that the Arizona Diamondbacks will be sellers at the MLB trade deadline, president and CEO Derrick Hall said that he believes the team should trade off some of its coveted players for pieces better suited for the future.
“I think it’s time for us to be responsible enough to improve our team with what we have and with that, let’s enhance our future,” Hall said on Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta. “Let’s bring in more assets for us. Let’s rebuild that farm system that has gotten better and better over the years.”
He expressed the decision to sell was undesirable for the front office as much as it was for the fans, but he believes it’s the right thing to do.
“Do we want to sell? No. We all want to buy but I think we have to be realistic and you don’t just make that decision on the final day of the deadline,” he said. “A lot of preparation goes into it.”
Although the team is just three games under .500, getting swept by the Astros might have been the nail in the coffin, considering there was an opportunity to gain ground on the Padres, who sit in the final NL Wild Card spot.
“Five-and-a-half (games back) doesn’t sound like too big of an uphill battle, yet you have a number of teams in front of you. So when you have the assets you do and you can improve your team, that’s your responsibility. I don’t want to part ways with any of our players either. Yet it is our responsibility to the fans,” Hall said.
His excitement for the future, however, was still palpable.
“We’re not rebuilding here because we already have our young, talented core in place. Now, we’re just going to try to acquire other pieces, I believe, to enhance that and set us up for more future success,” he said.
Busy trade deadline ahead for D-backs?
The offices on Jefferson Street will be active on deadline day, with the D-backs having multiple players that are coveted that could bring back a massive return.
“There’s going to be a bidding war for our guys. You know that. These are very talented players,” he said.
The D-backs came into the season with sky-high expectations and have been hit hard by the injury bug and other unforeseen circumstances that have stunted their season.
They still have a young core to build around with Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo and Brandon Pfaadt.
With more consistent pitching, the Diamondbacks could still turn things around this year and put themselves in a great position for next year when prized offseason signing Corbin Burnes returns to the starting rotation.
“We did put all chips, we really did, and unfortunately, a lot of this happened and it hasn’t worked so far,” he said.
“We owe it to our fans to better prepare ourselves for the next couple years and who knows, we could still be very competitive for the rest of the year. That’s our intention.”
