Inside the Diamondbacks Mailbag, June 12th

With plenty of questions still swirling around a team that continues to hover around the .500 mark, Inside the Diamondbacks took to Twitter/X to gather some of the most burning queries that can be found in the Arizona sports landscape.

Without further ado, here is the second edition of the Inside the Diamondbacks Mailbag.

"Who do you think the Dbacks allstar(s) will be this year?" -@jts__99

There should not be any question that Ketel Marte is an All-Star, and he has a realistic chance to be the starting second baseman. While Christian Walker definitely has his own case this season, he's likely gridlocked by All-Star frequenters like Freddie Freeman or Bryce Harper.

On the pitching side, any one of Justin Martinez, Ryan Thompson and Paul Sewald could see a selection out of the bullpen, if they continue their dominance. As is the nature of relievers, any one bad outing can spell death for the numbers and outlook on them as a pitcher.

"Dream trade scenarios? for the Dbacks before the deadline. Name at least one player" -@azbabybax

A name to keep an eye on as the deadline looms ever closer is Marlins lefty reliever Tanner Scott. With the Marlins in a bit of a tailspin this season, and their apparent (and historic) willingness to begin fire sales early on, Scott could be someone they feel comfortable parting with.

Scott has a 1.30 ERA this season, and a sub-3.00 over the last three collective years. Sure, he walks a lot of guys, but he limits hard contact and racks up strikeouts.

Of course, the D-backs might have to look into a starting pitcher option as well, depending on how the health situation pans out for Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly and Eduardo Rodriguez. If Jordan Montgomery begins to even back out to his consistent mean, there might not be a great need for a starter, although Mike Hazen has stated his regret for not grabbing another starter at the 2023 deadline.

Unfortunately, it's very hard to judge the trade market this early, but good pitchers are always a good thing to add, depending on the cost.

"Do you think we'll see Eduardo Rodriguez this month and if so how do you think he'll pan out for us?" -@MichaelDSebast

Rodriguez likely won't be back until the All-Star break. What happens then is a huge question mark. Considering a significant shoulder injury, and his history of having injury issues, there's not a ton of hope that he'll immediately step into a reliable slot in the rotation.

A few rough starts after he does finally return feel inevitable, and it's not a guarantee he pitches up to his potential, but time will have to tell.

"do you think corbin carrolls struggles is solely still a swing issue, a mental issue, or a combination of both?" -@ayjstfu

A combination of both is the short answer.

Carroll was very much stuck in between swings. While there's nothing to necessarily suggest he has been playing injured since the shoulder scare in 2023, that kind of incident can absolutely take a toll on a young player.

It wouldn't be a surprise if the mental issues affected his swing, which then in turn affected his mentals more. That said, he is hitting .391 over his last seven games, and slugging .565. He just recorded a ripped triple a double and a single, falling a homer short of the cycle against the Angels last night.

His swing looks cleaner, and his confidence does appear to be making a comeback. Regardless, he's more valuable than just what he can do with the bat, and it's good to see even the faintest glimmer of his 2023 self.

"Are the number De Los Santos is putting up in Reno sustainable and should he be considered in the mix for 3b either this season or in the near future?" -@altman_bj

De Los Santos has certainly been a weapon in the D-backs' farm system, after he was returned from the Guardians after his Rule 5 selection.

He put up a .372/.426/.696 slash in Double-A, homering nearly once per 10 at-bats. Following his promotion to Triple-A, he's hitting .329/.382/.571 with six doubles, a triple and a home run in only 18 games.

There's nothing that jumps out to suggest that it's NOT sustainable, as his numbers have always been at least solid, and he's moved up at least one level each year except 2023. Last year was a "down" year for De Los Santos, and he still hit .254 and slugged .431 with 20 homers. He strikes out a good deal and doesn't frequently walk, but the results are still tangibly beneficial.

The D-backs do have a bit of an infield dilemma on their hands. With starting 3B Eugenio Suarez struggling to put any offense together, Blaze Alexander steadily improving his defense to match his already-hot bat, Kevin Newman being a reliable veteran presence, and the return of Geraldo Perdomo to the lineup and Jordan Lawlar to Triple-A (how hard-to-read was that phrase?), there's probably not room for him in the mix yet.

That said, if he continues to hit at this insane rate, even in the hitter-friendly PCL, it might be hard to ignore. In truth, it's not likely we see him as Arizona's starting 3B anytime in the immediate future, but there could be a conversation if he does sustain these numbers.

"In your opinion which D-backs players have impressed and which ones have disappointed so far this season?" -@MrEd315

How much time do you have?

In seriousness, there are the obvious candidates for disappointment. Jordan Montgomery and Eugenio Suarez haven't lived up to the big sums they're owed, and Corbin Carroll--who appears to be working his way in a positive direction--hasn't lived up to his NLROY award.

Kevin Ginkel hasn't looked like his dominant self, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. proves to be too streaky to trust, and while it isn't his fault, Eduardo Rodriguez not throwing a single pitch after getting an $80 million dollar deal is the definition of a letdown.

On the bright side, there have been some surprisingly solid performances out of some of the less-hyped players.

Arizona's DH tandem of Joc Pederson and Randal Grichuk have proven to be a much better value than the amount of money that would have had to be dropped on Jorge Soler or JD Martinez.

Pederson's bat has cooled off significantly as of late, but he's still slashing .281/.381/.490 on the year. He has an exceptional eye, works walks, and has had plenty of pop, with a fun, more positive energy than expected.

Grichuk started cold, but, after being just a single short of the cycle in last night's game, upped his slash to .316/.367/.480, and offers more solid defense than one might assume.

Obviously, Ketel Marte and Christian Walker have played at a high level as well, both hitting well and playing exceptional defense, and young infielder Blaze Alexander has been a surprisingly solid bat, albeit with some defensive kinks to work out. Kevin Newman has been a pleasant surprise, hitting well and playing good defense as a solid veteran platoon player.

On the pitching side, we can't avoid talking about Justin Martinez. Not even a full year after Martinez couldn't find the zone, the 22-year-old flamethrower has become an excellent high-leverage arm, throwing consistent triple digits and pitching to an 0.39 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 23.0 innings.

Of course, flowers should be given to the likes of Paul Sewald, Ryan Thompson, and even Brandon Pfaadt for the way they've pitched as well. The strange thing about 2024 is that with massive underperformance comes a similar deluge of hot players. Such is the nature of a streaky .500 team.

Thank you all for your questions, and be sure and keep an eye out for the next round of the Inside the Diamondbacks Mailbag on Twitter/X.