Even after the Arizona Diamondbacks swooped A.J. Puk in a deal with the Miami Marlins, the team is not done making moves. According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Diamondbacks are still on the hunt for a right-handed relief pitcher as the MLB trade deadline approaches.
“The Arizona Diamondbacks, who already have added lefty A.J. Puk, want to acquire a righty reliever as well,” Rosenthal said.
The defending National League champions turned heads this past week as they dealt top prospects Deyvison De Los Santos and Andrew Pintar for Puk, the 29-year-old left-hander.
After a shaky start to the season in the rotation, Puk has since been lights out in the pen. Since April, A.J. Puk has pitched for a 1.95 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings pitched. His first two games in Arizona featured two scoreless frames with a combined four strikeouts, perhaps a sign of things to come for a Diamondbacks squad that has struggled at times.
A.J. Puk sparks Diamondbacks interest in another reliever
Arizona, on the heels of a deep post-season run in 2023, currently sits at 55-51 with a chance to swipe a wild card spot in the National League. With hitters like Christian Walker, Ketel Marte, Joc Pederson, and Corbin Carroll turning heads recently, the snakes are heating up at the plate. Arizona is second in the league in runs scored per game with 4.97.
Their pitching, however, has been a sore spot. The Diamondback's 4.50 team ERA ranks fifth worst in all of baseball. Starters Jordan Montgomery (6.11 ERA), Slade Cecconi (6.14), and Tommy Henry (7.04), and relievers Scott McGough (7.33), Logan Allen (5.46), and Joe Mantiply (4.19) have all experienced their fair share of pitching woes in 2024.
Even current closer Paul Sewald has had issues this year. After starting the year with an untouchable 0.54 ERA in 18 games, the veteran closer has allowed 10 earned runs in just 9.2 innings pitched in the month of July, blowing four saves in 11 games. The case is clear for Torey Lovullo's team: bullpen arms are a necessity.
But who would be available for the Diamondbacks to deal?
In terms of right-handed arms, there are plenty of top-flight options available, including Athletics reliever Lucas Erceg who is reportedly available. Much like Puk, Erceg has multiple years left of club control on his contract and could be a tantalizing option for an Arizona team on the hunt for a right-handed arm.
And although his age isn't especially enticing, veteran closer Kirby Yates has been a revelation for the Rangers this season. Yates' 1.21 ERA, 0.938 WHIP, and 18 saves in 37.1 innings pitched are among tops in the league for closers. The Rangers already moved starter Michael Lorenzen to the Royals early Monday morning so a trade involving Yates–or fellow relievers David Robertson, Jose Urena, or Jose Leclerc–would not be out of the question.
For now, A.J. Puk is just the tip of the iceberg for the Diamondbacks.
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