Fire sale begins for SF Giants division rivals ahead of MLB trade deadline

The fire sale may have begun for the Arizona Diamondbacks. On Thursday, the SF Giants division rivals reportedly shipped power-hitting bat Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for two prospects, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Fire sale begins for SF Giants division rivals ahead of MLB trade deadline

The Diamondbacks are receiving a pair of pitchers in Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi in the deal. Naylor had been one of the best bats on the market. That said, he is on an expiring contract, so the cost is relatively modest.

Before the season started, the Diamondbacks looked like potential playoff contenders. They were coming off a World Series appearance in 2023, followed by an 89-win season that did not result in a playoff spot last year.

They had the makings of a good team, even if they missed the playoffs last season. Arizona has been one of the more aggressive teams in free agency and the trade market in recent years. They have signed Jordan Montgomery, Eduardo Rodríguez, and Corbin Burnes in recent offseasons. They also added Josh Naylor to pair with Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll in the lineup.

On paper, Arizona made all the moves that a buying team should make. Unfortunately, that aggressiveness did not pay off as they sit in fourth place in the NL West, with a 50-53 record. They are not far from the playoff picture, but moving Naylor signals a shift in strategy to be sellers at the trade deadline.

The Diamondbacks did receive a pair of mid-level prospects from Seattle in exchange for Naylor. One of the prospects, Brandyn Garcia, debuted with the Mariners earlier in the year. He put together a strong 2.49 ERA in Seattle's farm system. On the other hand, Ashton Izzi has not pitched above High-A, but has a 4.13 ERA across three minor league seasons.

This is expected to be the start of a fire sale for the Diamondbacks. They have a number of players on expiring contracts, including Eugenio Suárez, Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, and Shelby Miller. They are all expected to be moved ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

Could the Giants be involved? It has been a long time since the Giants and Diamondbacks made a move. That said, Arizona does not look completely reluctant to deal within the division, but the cost might be higher.