The Arizona Diamondbacks led the NL West for most of the first half.
However, the division has some top-notch teams, most notably the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Staying at the top spot all year long was probably unrealistic, given how good the Dodgers have been over the last few years.
Right now, the D-Backs are tied with the San Francisco Giants for second in the division with a 55-47 record, four games behind LA.
Still, that doesn’t mean Arizona doesn’t stand a chance to get into the postseason.
There are three Wild Card spots in each league, and who knows?
They might still come back in the division race.
Arizona, a young team with lots of talent on the position player side and two excellent starters in Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, could definitely use impact pitching if they want to contend.
According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, they will be aggressive at the deadline.
“Arizona #Dbacks GM Mike Hazen wants to be aggressive and acquire pitching at the trade deadline, but says it’s still difficult to read the market with so many teams on the bubble and undecided,” he tweeted.
Arizona #Dbacks GM Mike Hazen wants to be aggressive and acquire pitching at the trade deadline, but says it's still difficult to read the market with so many teams on the bubble and undecided.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 26, 2023
The Los Angeles Angels, the New York Mets, the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox, the Seattle Mariners, and other squads are still on the fence regarding their deadline strategy.
They could all be buyers or sellers depending on how this week goes for them.
Clear buyers like the D-Backs will obviously benefit if more teams enter the “sellers” group, other than the known suspects (the Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, Washington Nationals, and Kansas City Royals).
Most teams will likely wait until after their weekend series to define things.
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