SF Giants NL West opponents complete rare trade within division

While it has been a relatively quiet offseason for the SF Giants, a pair of NL West opponents connected for a trade over the weekend. The Arizona Diamondbacks shipped speedy outfielder Jake McCarthy to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for pitching prospect Josh Grosz.

SF Giants NL West opponents complete rare trade within division

For the past several years, the Rockies have been stuck in the cellar of the NL West. They have not finished above last place since 2021.

That has led to a lot of changes in the front office. The most notable changes were Bill Schmidt and Zack Rosenthal stepping down as general manager and assistant general manager, respectively, at the start of the offseason. Paul DePodesta took over as the head of the front office, and he hired veteran executive Josh Byrnes as general manager.

The Rockies have badly needed some fresh voices in the organization, and to some extent, they have checked off that box. While they will continue to operate like a small-market team, the moves they make within that constraint will likely be different.

On the other hand, the Diamondbacks are expected to reduce payroll this season. They finished one game behind the Giants in the NL West last season, but they have also been the better club over the past few seasons. This includes a surprise appearance in the World Series in 2023. They lost to the Texas Rangers in five games.

They have had a quiet offseason, but the Jake McCarthy trade represents one of their few notable moves. He was originally a first-round pick by the organization in the 2018 draft out of the University of Virginia.

The 28-year-old outfielder debuted in 2021 and has put up a .705 OPS in five seasons with Arizona. This includes 85 steals in 98 opportunities. He has not been a consistent hitter at the major league level, but he has shown flashes of being a reliable role player.

In the field, McCarthy is an elite runner and a quality defender at all three outfield positions. That speed should help cover ground in the expansive outfield grass at Coors Field.

McCarthy was out of minor league options, so it made sense for the Diamondbacks to make a move. On the other side of the ledger, Arizona received pitching prospect Josh Grosz. Grosz was an 11th-round pick by the Yankees in 2023 out of East Carolina University. Interestingly, this is his second time being traded within the past year.

The right-handed pitcher tallied a 4.67 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 9.7 K/9, and a 2.45 SO/W rate across 125.1 frames in High-A in 2025. On the mound, he features a low-to-mid 90's fastball with a gyro slider and a changeup.