D-backs Could Look at Former All-Star to Address Center Field Issues

The Diamondbacks are in a sticky situation with their center field play. Coming into the 2025 season, they were hoping that one of Alek Thomas or Jake McCarthy would hold down the position. That has not happened, as McCarthy was optioned to Reno after a 3-for-41 start to the season. Thomas took on the bulk of the duties in center since, forming a platoon with rookie utilityman Tim Tawa.

While he hit well in his first 15 games, batting .311 with a .839 OPS, he's been mired in a deep slump. Since April 19, Thomas has a slash line of .242/.281/.330, which is more in line with his career numbers at the plate. More troubling than his .611 OPS over that stretch, he's struck out 25 times in 97 plate appearances with only two walks.

Between McCarthy and Thomas, the Diamondbacks haven't gotten much value in center field. At the current stage of their careers, both are average at best defenders in center and offer little upside with the bat. McCarthy's offense has been inconsistent year-to-year, and Thomas simply hasn't shown he can hit major league pitching for a considerable stretch. Because of that, the organization faces a difficult decision about each player's long-term future.

According to Baseball Reference, Arizona is 26th out of 30 teams in center field Wins Above Average with -0.6. Simply put, what they have right now is not good enough if they want to compete with the best teams in the National League. Their record stands at 26-28 and are staring at the possibility of another failure to qualify for the Postseason. While not their biggest problem, lack of production at the position is contributing to their negative record.

The internal options they have now are to try again with McCarthy, give more starts to Tawa, or take a chance on Jorge Barrosa. Given the organization's previous actions, the only likely move they would make for now is to have McCarthy and Thomas switch places and hope for the best. Instead, they may have to realize what they have isn't good enough and go make an external addition to raise the talent level at the position.

The question to ask is, "who's available that can raise the talent level in center?" Arizona will have to part with considerable talent to acquire the type of center fielder they need to push the needle forward. One such player that could become available is the Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr.

Robert has struggled at the plate since the start of the 2024 season, hitting just .213 with 19 home runs and a strikeout rate above 30% in 630 plate appearances. That's roughly a full season's worth of plate appearances in which he's been a significantly below-average hitter, with an 80 OPS+.

With such numbers, it's reasonable to wonder why he'd be considered any sort of upgrade. Therein lies the question. Are his struggles because of the lack of culture in Chicago, or will he always underperform his talent level simply due to the holes in his game?

The biggest issues for Robert stem from a hyper-aggressive approach at the plate. He's consistently ranked near the bottom in chase rate, strikeout rate, and walk rate over the years. What he lacks in discipline and contact ability, he makes up for elite batted ball contact.

At the same time, the Diamondbacks can't be afraid to take risks to try to compete, as they're competing with the deep-pocketed Dodgers, the star-studded Padres, and the resurgent Giants for a playoff spot. Robert could give them much more potential upside in center field than what they have now, with control through the 2027 season. He's only 27 years old and is just two seasons removed from an All-Star campaign in which he accumulated 5.3 bWAR.

The high-end talent is still there. His bat speed ranks in the 94th percentile amongst all major league hitters, and he rates positively as a defender in both Baseball Reference's rField (+1) and Statcast's Fielding Run Value (+1). He's also stolen 44 bases in 55 attempts, showing the ability to be an impact base stealer. Pair him up with one of the best baserunning and outfield defense coaches in Dave McKay, and that part of his game could improve to where it was in 2023.

The downside is that Robert's contract might not fit the Diamondbacks' budget for the next three seasons. If Arizona assumes the full remainder of his contract, it's a $5 million payroll increase for 2025 and $47 million guaranteed for the next three seasons when accounting for a $2 million buyout after 2027.

If the Diamondbacks wanted to make a deal, they could consider a package around Jake McCarthy, Yilber Díaz, and LuJames Groover. McCarthy can immediately plug into center field for the White Sox, while Díaz offers a high-octane arm that could still develop into a starter if he can fix his control issues. Groover is a potential high-upside bat to develop at a corner infield spot.

That is a very steep cost, as McCarthy is a high-end fourth outfielder who can be a low-end starter in a good year, and Arizona would be parting with two top-six prospects who have the upside to be starters at the major league level. However, the type of talent that Robert possesses could make it worthwhile if they can improve his approach at the plate and get him back to his 2023 production.

This potential trade may hinge on Chicago's willingness to either pay down some of that contract or accept a lesser player return for the Diamondbacks to take on the full remainder of that deal. If neither option is available, then Arizona will need to turn to other options to address the position. The only realistic option they could consider in the trade market would be the Orioles' Cedric Mullins, who is a rental.