DBACKS TRADE: A.J. Puk LH RP

[outcent13]

Dbacks get AJ Puk for (I’m gonna cry here) Deyvison De Los Santos and Andrew Pintar.

 

[outcent13]

If someone can delete this please

 

[Dback Jon]

If someone can delete this please

Why?

 

[Dback Jon]

To me, that’s a lot to give up, but I guess we’re going for it
Now, if they don’t resign, Walker, this is a very questionable trade

 

[outcent13]

It’s in the other thread that’s all .

 

[outcent13]

Agreed , seems like an overpay. However, as a reliever only his numbers are very good and he’s under control for 2 years after this one. I feel like there must be something about de Los santos we don’t know.

 

[thirty-two]

All I know is a I have lost a ton of bets because AJ Puk came in and blew the game lol

 

[outcent13]

Yay!!

 

[outcent13]

All I know is a I have lost a ton of bets because AJ Puk came in and blew the game lol

Well you are no longer aloud to make those bets. You know, for the team!

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Agreed , seems like an overpay. However, as a reliever only his numbers are very good and he’s under control for 2 years after this one. I feel like there must be something about de Los santos we don’t know.

He can't play defense and his hit tool is in the 40s

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I predicted either De Los Santos or Melendez would be gone at the trade deadline. They are near identical players on identical time lines. Groover is better than both with his 60/50 hit to power rather than. 40/60

 

[outcent13]

I wonder if they add anything else. Another bullpen arm would be good. I’d love to have a guy with a consistent bat but I don’t think they see the need for one. Glad Jr would be awesome but we would probably have to give up someone on the current roster plus some.

 

[Ronin]

https://x.com/DbacksStatsInfo
Arizona Diamondbacks | Stats & Info

@DbacksStatsInfo

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RHP Paul Sewald (and RHP Miguel Castro) will potentially be free agents at the end of the season.Puk has 20 career saves (including 15 last year). The emergence of RHP Justin Martinez is also a factor here.

 

[Ronin]

Arizona Diamondbacks | Stats & Info

@DbacksStatsInfo

New #Dbacks

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A.J. Puk, 2024 splits--Starter: 9.22 ERA, 4 G, 13.2 IP, 17 BB, 12 K, 2.63 WHIPReliever: 2.08 ERA, 28 G, 30.1 IP, 6 BB, 33 K, 0.76 WHIPHe's allowed 4 barrels out of 122 batted balls; Throws 6 different pitches; Fastball & sinker avg. 95mph; Slider has 47.9 whiff %

 

[Ronin]

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[ASUCHRIS]

Great trade - he's exactly what we need from the left side. He's under control, and has been dominant as a reliever. This is the best I've felt about our bullpen group in a long time. Puk/Ginkel/Thompson/Martinez/Sewald is a damn good 5 man.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

To tell you the farm system to farm system difference, De Los Santos was the #15 prospect for the Dbacks. Becomes the #4 for Miami.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Here were your 3 1B in the system and you can see from the highlighted parts why they chose who they did. Groover could maybe make it to third. He's the only one with a chance.

De Los Santos Scouting:

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Arm: 50 | Field: 40 | Overall: 50

Signed for $200,000 out of the Dominican Republic by the Diamondbacks in 2019, De Los Santos burst onto the prospect scene three years later by winning the Single-A California League batting title (.329) and mashing 22 homers between three levels. His subsequent struggles in the Arizona Fall League after the 2022 season and in Double-A at the start of last year prompted Arizona to put him on the development list for the first two weeks of July so he could rework his right-handed swing. Though he batted .322/.340/.596 afterward, the D-backs left him unprotected on their 40-man roster, and the Guardians pounced on him in the Rule 5 Draft in December. Returned to Arizona in March, he moved on to the Marlins in a July deal for A.J. Puk.

With raw power and exit velocities that rank among the best in the Minors, De Los Santos offers huge power potential thanks to his bat speed and strength but won't come close to fully tapping into it unless he can tone down his approach. Arizona tried to simplify his load and give him more time to make better swing decisions, yet despite his improved performance, he still chased way too many pitches and produced too many ground balls. Even with his flaws, he led the Minors in homers (28), total bases (217) and RBIs (84) at the time of the trade.

Melendez Scouting

Scouting grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 60 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 40 | Overall: 45

A junior-college transfer, Melendez joined Texas for the 2021 season and showed good power with 13 homers but only went in the 16th round to the Marlins that summer. After not signing, he put together one of the most powerful college seasons in recent memory with 32 homers (most in NCAA since BBCOR bat restrictions were adopted in 2011) and led Division I in total bases and slugging percentage on his way to winning the Golden Spikes Award. The D-backs took Melendez in the second round in 2022, and while some questions remain about the entire profile, he lived up to his reputation with 30 homers over just 96 games between High-A and Double-A in his first full season before finishing up with a stint in the Arizona Fall League.

The right-handed slugger has the natural strength for at least double-plus raw power, so much so that coaches have advised him he just needs to “tap the ball” to send it screaming around the ballpark. To wit, he topped out with a 115.5 mph exit velocity in the AFL; only Ketel Marte (117.1) had a higher EV among D-backs Major Leaguers in ’23. Melendez has an uphill swing that creates the loft needed for his high homer total, but that also creates major contact concerns. He had whiff and chase rates above 30 percent on every pitch type he saw at Double-A, including fastballs.

Groover

Scouting grades: Hit: 60 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Arm: 45 | Field: 40 | Overall: 50

Groover hit .351 as a freshman at UNC Charlotte in 2021, transferred to NC State the following year and never stopped hitting for the Wolfpack. He produced a .332/.430/.546 line with 13 homers and a 26/36 K/BB ratio over 57 games as a junior last year and was selected by the D-backs in the second round that July, signing for exact slot at $1.783 million. Groover went 23-for-87 (.264) and struck out only nine percent of the time over a 23-game stint with High-A Hillsboro to end the summer.

The right-handed slugger has a quiet and simple stance at the plate, letting his hands do the firing because of their impressive quickness. He manipulates the barrel well, too, helping him make contact against pitches of all types, and he especially feasted on fastballs, whiffing on only nine percent of his swings against heaters in college in 2023. His swing can be grooved, leading to solid line drives across the park, but he has 20-homer upside if he can elevate a bit more.

Groover’s defense was his biggest drawback going into the Draft. Below-average speed made him a first baseman as a freshman and sophomore, and while his fast reactions helped him move to third base last year, he still lacks the range and arm strength (with a short throwing motion) to project as anything more than below-average at the position. His plus bat would hold up at the cold corner, second base or the outfield, where he also got looks in school. It was at first that he suffered a broken left wrist on April 9, an injury that could keep him out for three months of his first full season.

 

[CardsFan1399]

I liked the prospect of DDLS’ bat, but I don’t know if he really had a position in the big leagues other than DH. The D-backs didn’t protect him, Cleveland didn’t keep him, and now we trade him for a bullpen asset. Maybe he’ll light it up for Miami, but it’s possible that he is a dreaded AAAA player.

 

[Ronin]

Nick Piecoro
@nickpiecoro
·
57m
New Diamondbacks reliever A.J. Puk is not expected to arrive in Arizona until tomorrow.

 

[Ronin]

A.J. Puk trade grades: Diamondbacks get thumbs up

By most accounts, it's a near toss-up whether the Diamondbacks or Marlins got the best of a trade that shipped reliever A.J. Puk to Arizona.

arizonasports.com

 

[outcent13]

I guess I just don’t agree that his hit tool is only a 40. Dudes super young for the level he’s at and he’s been young for every level he’s been at. His strikeout rate is high but he has had a good batting average at every step. Dude just turned 21 and he’s knocking on the door with an almost .300 batting average.

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I guess I just don’t agree that his hit tool is only a 40. Dudes super young for the level he’s at and he’s been young for every level he’s been at. His strikeout rate is high but he has had a good batting average at every step. Dude just turned 21 and he’s knocking on the door with an almost .300 batting average.

So Triple AAA is an extreme hitters league. No decent pitcher goes there.

In the Fall League he hit .219 with a .298 OBP and an over 4-1 K to Walk Ratio.

His double A stint was pretty similar .297 OBP with 125 KS to 25 Walks.

Dbacks tried to adjust his swing and his K rate and it didn't work.

He got hammered for his terrible futures game performance.

I personally really believe in fall league indicators for personal success. I think he is worst defense Mark Reynolds

 

[outcent13]

Fall league is generally for older players. He had just turned 19 when he played in the AZFL in 2022.

At the end of the day I’m about winning ant the big league level and using assets to win. I think he’s gonna be a player and a good one. If they win a World Series I won’t care

 

[Chris_Sanders]

Melendez isn't much better. He just has elite exit velocity when he actually hits the ball.