The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired A.J. Puk in a quick deal on Saturday. The left-handed reliever comes over from the Miami Marlins. The Diamondbacks jumped out early to acquire him ahead of next Tuesday’s trade deadline.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported the trade.
BREAKING: The Arizona Diamondbacks are in agreement on a deal to acquire left-handed reliever A.J. Puk from the Miami Marlins, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 26, 2024
2024 Statistics
In 32 appearances with 44 innings pitched for the Marlins, Puk owned a 4.30 ERA. However, after being a starter early in the season, he was moved to the bullpen. In the bullpen, he has posted a 2.08 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 30.1 innings.
Puk has been particularly overpowering against left-handed batters. They have hit just .174 with 45 strikeouts in over 123 plate appearances against Puk when pitching out of the bullpen. Right-handed hitters have had a bit more success, hitting .236, but with a low .283 on-base percentage.
Diamondbacks Acquire A.J. Puk: Arizona Wanted Bullpen Help
It was known that if Arizona was going to be buyers, they wanted bullpen help with left-handers as the top priority. Just like other teams, they wanted a pitcher who could handle high-leverage situations. A specialist with the ground-ball out selection of pitches, Puk adds another lefty to the bullpen alongside Joe Mantiply.
Second Consecutive Season
This is the second consecutive season in which the Diamondbacks have made a major midseason addition to the bullpen. Last season’s trade deadline saw the team add Paul Sewald as their closer. Sewald was effective in the 2023 postseason, but he has had a rough stretch this season. Puk, who had 15 saves last season, provides additional late-game options for manager Torey Lovullo.
Marlins Obtain Prospects
The Marlins acknowledged early on after a terrible start that they were sellers. They moved Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres in May for a cluster of prospects. In the Puk deal, they obtain two top prospects from the Diamondbacks in Deyvison De Los Santos and Andrew Pintar. De Los Santos, the current minor league home run leader, was ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Diamondbacks’ No. 14 prospect; Pintar was ranked 30th. Both could provide immediate help for the Marlins.
Diamondbacks Acquire A.J. Puk: Options in Arizona Bullpen
Adding Puk gives Arizona another strong-arm option in the bullpen. Along with Sewald and Mantiply, Kevin Ginkel and Ryan Thompson are having a great season. Justin Martinez appears to be establishing himself as an excellent setup arm with his 100-plus mph fastball. Bryce Jarvis has shown he can be both a long or short bullpen arm when called upon.
Miguel Castro, returning from the IL, has had a challenging season but possesses veteran experience. Thyago Vieira, claimed off of waivers in June, has a 2.87 ERA with the Diamondbacks and has shown an effective 97 mph slider. However, he was sent to Triple-A Reno to make room for Puk.
Club Control
Puk comes with an additional two seasons of club control beyond this year, and the Diamondbacks could view him and Martinez as future closers. Sewald is set to enter free agency at the end of the year and will want to be compensated well. Puk will go through the arbitration process twice more before hitting free agency during the 2026-27 offseason. He will certainly be an affordable bullpen piece for the next couple of years.
Diamondbacks Acquire A.J. Puk: More Trades Coming?
The Diamondbacks are 28-18 since the start of June and are in the Wild Card race. The trade for Puk shows they are buyers as we get closer to the trade deadline. The team is also looking at adding a starting pitcher or an offensive upgrade before Tuesday, though they will be competing with many other teams looking for the same type of players. The Puk trade is just the start.
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