PHOENIX — The bar was low for the Diamondbacks entering this season, which is why even after a first half that has them on just a 70-win pace, it is hard to call it especially disappointing. After all, they are playing better than last year.
They might not be in a hunt for a playoff spot, but a lot can happen over the final 2 1/2 months of the season. Here is a look at a few things worth keeping an eye on as the Diamondbacks’ season enters the home stretch. The team returned to action Friday night against the Nationals at Chase Field:
Deadline decisions
It seems likely the Diamondbacks will peel off several of the veterans on their roster who are on expiring contracts. Outfielder David Peralta and right-hander Ian Kennedy, for example, would appear to be relatively safe bets to get moved prior to the Aug. 2 trade deadline.
The bigger questions involve players with club control remaining, namely first baseman Christian Walker and reliever Joe Mantiply.
Walker has been a source of power and has turned in consistently tough at-bats for the Diamondbacks all season, helping to bridge the gap as the club continues to integrate prospects onto its roster. He could conceivably continue to do those things for the Diamondbacks over the next two years before he hits free agency.
However, Walker already is 31, and the Diamondbacks could feel like his value might never be higher.
The same could be said of Mantiply, who represented the Diamondbacks well at the All-Star Game this week, firing a scoreless inning in relief. With four years of team control remaining, the Diamondbacks would seemingly be even less inclined to move him than Walker.
Time for pitching prospects to shine
With the news this week that left-hander Dallas Keuchel had been designated for assignment, the Diamondbacks have an opening to fill in their starting rotation. This would seem to be a good time to start giving test drives to some of their young, minor-league pitching.
The Triple-A Reno rotation includes right-hander Corbin Martin, lefty Tommy Henry and right-hander Ryne Nelson. Given the difficult pitching environment there, it is hard to know from afar what to make of their performances, but all three have put up solid results for stretches this year. Double-A right-hander Brandon Pfaadt is another name to know.
The coming months provide an opportunity for the club to determine if any of their young starters ought to be counted on in next year’s rotation.
Can young players keep developing?
The Diamondbacks already have a young stable of position players, and if they do trade a veteran hitter or two, that would only create more at-bats for prospects to claim.
It goes without saying the Diamondbacks would love to see their young players continue to take strides in the second half. There are many who will be under the microscope.
Center fielder Alek Thomas has more than held his own; can he become even more of an impact player? Can right fielder Daulton Varsho play more consistently? Can shortstop Geraldo Perdomo become more reliable in the field and start to square balls up a little more often? Is Jake McCarthy capable of being an everyday outfielder?
Perhaps the Diamondbacks can answer some of these questions by October.
Clean it up, be fundamentally sound
There is no question the Diamondbacks have played a better brand of baseball through 92 games than they did for nearly all of last season. But there is still plenty of room to improve.
They have lost a number of one-run games recently, many of them because of either defensive miscues or a lack of offensive execution. Team officials have said repeatedly in the past that it needs to play a crisp style of baseball in order to compete, and while they have shown they are capable of it, they have fallen short of doing it consistently.
The second half should provide an opportunity for the Diamondbacks to show they can be a more fundamentally sound team, something they could perhaps carry into next season.
Lovullo’s future
For a second year in a row, the Diamondbacks enter the second half with manager Torey Lovullo’s contractual situation up in the air. Because Lovullo survived last season, it is hard to anticipate how things will play out this time around; not many managers are given another year after presiding over a 110-loss campaign.
If the organization is satisfied with the progress of its young players, perhaps it sticks with Lovullo. But with as many games as the Diamondbacks have lost lately — they lead the majors with 197 losses since the start of 2020 — it wouldn’t be a surprise were they to go in a different direction.
Lovullo was given a one-year extension in September with a team option for 2023.
