The Arizona Diamondbacks ultimately did not come away with any pitching upgrades at the trade deadline, but it was not for lack of effort. The Arizona Republic‘s Nick Piecoro published an exclusive on how a potential Clay Holmes deal with the New York Mets fell apart.
According to Piecoro, the deal fell apart about three hours before the 3:00 pm MST deadline. By then, the club’s starting pitching targets came off the board, and Holmes went to the Chicago Cubs.
The Diamondbacks showed clear interest in Holmes. They were one of four teams identified by the New York Post‘s Joel Sherman that attended the right-hander’s rehab start in Brooklyn. Holmes threw 73 pitches in 5.1 innings before the Mets dealt him the next day to Chicago.
The Diamondbacks did not come away empty-handed at the deadline, with Lars Nootbaar being their only significant trade. That cost Arizona pitching prospects Daniel Eagen and Sandro Santana.
Diamondbacks’ Trade for Clay Holmes Fell Apart at Last Second
The issue came down to a physical of the prospects being sent to New York. There’s no report on which prospects the two teams discussed.
Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen expressed his frustration over not being able to add starting pitching at the deadline. He revealed they had multiple deals that were very close that didn’t go their way.
“We took some runs at a lot of the pitchers, we made a lot a players available, it just didn’t happen for us,” Hazen told Cameron Cox of 12News.
Hazen said they offered up to the top of their farm system, but drew the line on players on the major league team. That’s consistent with the reporting from Arizona Sports’ John Gambadoro, who said the team turned down any offers involving outfielder Ryan Waldschmidt.
The Diamondbacks will have to finish the season with what they have. They are currently fielding two rookies in their rotation: left-handers Kohl Drake and Mitch Bratt.
The unit is currently being anchored by All-Star left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez and right-hander Brandon Pfaadt, who’s looked strong in his current stint in the rotation. Merrill Kelly pitched to a 1.95 ERA in July.
Michael Soroka’s return from a glute injury should be a big boost, plus whatever they can get from Corbin Burnes. It’s unclear what they’ll get from Ryne Nelson and Zac Gallen, as neither pitcher has much of a return timeline from elbow injuries.
Possible Diamondbacks Package for Clay Holmes
The agreed-upon trade for Clay Holmes to the Cubs included Top 100 prospect Jefferson Rojas. Rojas, who MLB Pipeline ranked at 63, ended up being the centerpiece prospect in a deal that also included outfielder Tyrone Taylor.
Arizona currently has one prospect in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100: infielder Demetrio Crisantes. Crisantes, an Arizona native, ranks at 85.
There’s a possibility the 21-year-old could have been the prospect who failed the physical, but not reported. He underwent surgery to repair a posterior labral tear, an injury he suffered swinging the bat in May 2025.
Crisantes is currently with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate in Reno after a recent promotion. He’s a lock to be added to their 40-man roster no later than November.
Crisantes was probably not the only player discussed between the Diamondbacks and Mets for Clay Holmes.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Diamondbacks Nearly Acquired Mets’ 2.39 ERA Starter Before Trade Deadline appeared first on HEAVY.