The Arizona Diamondbacks are atop the NL West. Two years ago, the team lost 110 games and was looking for hope.
Arizona has a chance to compete in the postseason. It is a rare opportunity, given the team has been in the postseason just four times since it won the 2001 World Series.
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal said in a story he does not expect the team to “take a more aggressive approach than they otherwise might” before the trade deadline Aug. 1.
“The Diamondbacks want to sustain success, and a major push would leave them no guarantee for the present and possibly compromise them in the future,” Rosenthal said.
“…General manager Mike Hazen could not bring himself to embark upon a full rebuild when the team was struggling, and that same competitive spirit will drive him to bolster his pitching for the final two months. The problem with the Diamondbacks going all-in is that unlike a high-revenue team, they cannot undo poor trades by spending their way out of it.”
Hazen said in an appearance with local Arizona Sports 98.7 FM radio the team will look to build its pitching staff at the deadline. That should help it in the postseason, in which top pitching rotations tend to lead to more success.
“I think we probably could stand to shore up both areas (rotation and bullpen).”
The Diamondbacks hope to fend off the Dodgers, who have been the dominant team in the NL West division and the National League itself. They have won nine NL West titles since 2013 and at one point had seven straight divisional titles.
Arizona's pitching staff is led by Zac Gallen, who has seven wins and two losses and a 3.09 ERA. Rookie Corbin Caroll has been the team's best offensive player, batting a 3.06 average with 14 home runs and 71 hits.
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