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Diamondbacks swap Blaze Alexander for reliever in deal with Orioles
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- Diamondbacks swap Blaze Alexander for reliever in deal with Orioles
The Diamondbacks traded a young infielder coming off a breakout performance for a young reliever who just had a breakout of his own, a deal that general manager Mike Hazen hopes will address the pitching woes that have plagued the organization in recent years.
In exchange for infielder Blaze Alexander , the Diamondbacks received right-hander Kade Strowd and a pair of prospects from the Baltimore Orioles .
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Strowd, 28, represents the most significant addition the Diamondbacks have made to their bullpen this winter. In 25 games last season, he logged a 1.71 ERA, allowing only one homer, walking 13 and striking out 24 in 26 1/3 innings. He arrives in Arizona with six full years of club control.
"We felt like he took a pretty big step forward last year at the very end of the season," Hazen said. "We like his stuff."
Strowd, who averages 96 mph with his fastball, pitches predominantly off his cutter, a pitch he threw 41.1 percent of the time. Though Strowd was largely a ground-ball pitcher, Hazen said the club was intrigued by some "evolutions" in Strowd's arsenal that saw him rack up more swings and misses late in the season.
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Alexander had a breakout second half after taking over at third base following the trade deadline. He hit .230/.323/.383 with seven homers while playing excellent defense at third base and was often credited for being a catalyst for the Diamondbacks as they made a surprise push for a wild-card spot down the stretch.
Hazen said Alexander's growth made him appealing to several rival teams, and he felt that the opportunity to add to the bullpen was "more of a priority given where we stand versus making a bet on the infielders that we had playing in reserve."
Hazen continued: "I think (Alexander's performance) gave us the opportunity to address (what) we know was one of the main focus areas for us. I feel like the last two years with the offense we put on the field, those teams should have made the playoffs, and they didn't because of the pitching — and the defense. And we are still working to address those things as best we can."
The Diamondbacks also are getting two prospects: High-A right-hander Wellington Aracena and Low-A infielder Jose Mejia. Hazen said the Diamondbacks were drawn to Aracena's "projection and ability long-term" — he topped out at 101 mph last year, per Baseball America — as well as Mejia's on-base ability and potential to stick on the middle infield.
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Alexander became somewhat expendable after the Diamondbacks acquired third baseman Nolan Arenado in a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals last month, though Hazen said the club will look to backfill on the infield via the free-agent market. He seemed to be targeting a utility type who was perhaps capable of playing both infield and outfield.
Hazen said plans had not changed for young position player Jordan Lawlar , who likely will still see more time in the outfield than on the infield during spring training. Lawlar, who came up as a shortstop, saw time in center field in winter ball this offseason.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks trade Blaze Alexander for reliever in deal with Orioles
