The Arizona Diamondbacks’ sell-off continues with beginning pitcher Merrill Kelly being traded to the Texas Rangers, ESPN’s Jeff Passan experiences.
Kelly, who turns 37 on Oct. 14, offers one other dependable arm so as to add to the Rangers’ veteran beginning rotation, becoming a member of Jacob deGrom, Patrick Corbin and Nathan Eovaldi. He’s been the D-backs’ most constant starter this season, compiling a 3.22 ERA over 22 begins with 121 strikeouts in 128 2/3 innings.
The Rangers’ beginning pitchers have the perfect ERA in MLB at 3.16, led by deGrom (10-3, 2.55 ERA) throwing just like the ace who gained NL Rookie of the Yr and two Cy Younger Awards with the New York Mets. Corbin (3.78 ERA) has skilled a profession resurgence after struggling for the previous 5 seasons with the Washington Nationals. And Eovaldi (9-3, 1.49 ERA) has been the most effective starters in baseball in the course of the previous six seasons.
Texas (57-52) is a postseason contender, tied with the Seattle Mariners for second place within the AL West, 5 video games behind the Houston Astros. The Rangers and Mariners are additionally tied for the AL’s third wild-card playoff berth, 2.5 video games forward of the Cleveland Guardians and three forward of the Kansas Metropolis Royals and Tampa Bay Rays.
In change for Kelly, who could be a free agent after the season, the D-backs will obtain Triple-A left-hander Kohl Drake, Double-A arm Mitch Bratt and Single-A pitcher David Hagaman. Drake, 25, was ranked because the Rangers’ No. 5 prospect by MLB.com, whereas Bratt, 22, was No. 9 and Hagaman, 22, was No. 13.
Kelly was a late bloomer as an MLB pitcher, an eighth-round decide by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010 after being drafted in every of the earlier two years by the Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Guardians, respectively, however not signing. He performed 9 years within the minors earlier than making his major-league debut with the D-backs in 2019.
Throughout his seven-year MLB profession, Kelly has a 3.74 ERA and 62-50 report, averaging 8.2 strikeouts and a couple of.7 walks per 9 innings. He’s two seasons faraway from his finest yr, when he registered a 3.29 ERA and 12-8 report in 30 begins, including 187 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings.
Kelly is the fourth common to be dealt away by Arizona main as much as the MLB commerce deadline. First baseman Josh Naylor started the D-backs’ commerce season by going to the Seattle Mariners. That was adopted by outfielder Randal Grichuk being traded to the Kansas Metropolis Royals and third baseman Eugenio Suárez additionally going to Seattle in a separate deal.
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