Hazen can’t see dealing if in hunt
Big-name players would be key to playoff push
MILWAUKEE – The Diamondbacks’ recent hot streak hasn’t stopped reports from surfacing about the potential availability of some of their more high-profile players. In General Manager Mike Hazen’s mind, the speculation comes from a logical place. He just doesn’t agree with it.
“We’ve said all along that we can accomplish everything, both short- and long-term, given this year’s club,” Hazen said. “We’re not looking to do things that will impede our long-term quest for sustainability, but these two things can remain mutually exclusive.”
Center fielder A.J. Pollock and lefthander Patrick Corbin have a year and a half to go before free agency, and right-hander Zack Greinke is one of the game’s most highly paid players.
Trading any of them – as reports have suggested the Diamondbacks could consider prior to the July 31 trade deadline – would make sense, in some circumstances, for a club like the Diamondbacks, who have a small payroll and a poorly regarded farm system.
But Hazen said he can’t envision a scenario in which the Diamondbacks are both in the race leading up to the deadline and open to moving one of their frontline players, particularly Pollock and Greinke.
“I don’t believe we’re going to be in a position to make the playoffs if we do that necessarily,” he said. “Those are two of our best players. You’re fundamentally changing the shape of your team.
“Speculating on what could happen in the next 60 days is difficult in this game because a lot of things change. But I can’t envision that scenario taking place, unless there was some kind of adequate replacement, which I don’t see how that would make sense for us or somebody else. But I understand the speculation and I get it.”
There are some who view the Diamondbacks’ foray into contention as a potentially negative development in that it could push back what they con-
sider a necessarily replenishing of the farm system. Hazen doesn’t see it that way. He says it’s a “great thing” for the Diamondbacks to be where they are in the standings at this point in the season.
“If the opportunity has passed on trading one guy or two guys as opposed to the opportunity to win?” he said.
“To me, I’m going to take that tradeoff. That’s a tradeoff that I think we have to take.”
He still likes the collection of young talent the Diamondbacks have in the majors and believes the organization can continue to build its system.
“I don’t think it slows anything down,” he said.
“We’re still marching forward on the draft. We’re still marching forward on July 2 (international) signings. We’re still going to be adding talent to the organization for the long-term. We’re still working on developing the crop of guys we have underneath at the minor league level right now. And we have a lot of good, young big leaguers who are making a lot of positive strides here and learning how to win.
“To me, those are all critical pieces to longterm success. In what order it all comes in, we don’t have a crystal ball on that. But we’re going to be evaluating this the whole way through.”
A report by Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal earlier in the month suggested the Diamondbacks were likely to take offers on Pollock and Corbin prior to the trade deadline or in the offseason.
FanRag’s Jon Heyman listed Greinke as potentially the biggest-name player that could be available in July.
“I understand the dynamic, and, yes, we are always going to be watching the larger impact on the organization as a whole,” Hazen said, “but the fact is none of these guys are free agents at the end of the year.
“We’re playing really well. Once we get into June and July, we’ll see where we’re at and make decisions accordingly. I think the depth that we’ve hopefully built on the roster will make it so if we’re adding to the team in some way we won’t have to add large amounts to the team. If we can cherry-pick opportunities to make the team better, we’re going to do it. That’s the way we’re kind of looking at it.”