The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired LHP Konnor Pilkington from the Cleveland Guardians on Monday, per Paul Hoynes. Cleveland received cash in return. Pilkington was previously designated for assignment on the Guardians’ roster to make room for top pitching prospect Tanner Bibee.

This Pilkington trade could prove to be a steal for the Diamondbacks. The left-hander is only 25-years old and features decent potential. He just needs a legitimate opportunity.

Pilkington appeared in 15 games (11 starts) for the Guardians in 2022. He ultimately recorded a respectable 3.88 ERA in his first big league campaign. However, he walked 32 hitters through 58 innings of work. His control issues combined with Cleveland’s solid pitching depth last year led to the overall short MLB stint for Pilkington.

In 2023, he tallied just two MLB innings of work over one appearance prior to getting traded to the Diamondbacks.

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It should be noted that Konnor Pilkington labored in the minor leagues. He had posted a rather unsightly 8.36 ERA in Triple-A for the Guardians’ organization in 2023. He finished 2022 with a minor league ERA of 5.88. Regardless, he still has displayed signs of potential.

The D’Backs are off to a strong start so far in 2023. They could use extra pitching depth though, which helps explain why they traded for Pilkington in the first place. Zac Gallen is pitching well for Arizona, but the remainder of the rotation has dealt with uncertainty. It isn’t clear how AZ plans to utilize Pilkington, but he could be a serviceable option for the Diamondbacks at some point in 2023.

For now, Arizona will look to continue playing a quality brand of baseball as the season rolls on.