Exactly one year ago on Sunday, the Arizona Diamondbacks participated in a "hug watch" trade with the Kansas City Royals , sending out veteran platoon outfielder Randal Grichuk .
Immediate returns for both teams made this deal look quite positive for Arizona , but the deal has not quite aged in that same trajectory - yet, at least.
On July 26, 2025, with Arizona's fire sale already underway, GM Mike Hazen took the opportunity to acquire a young pitcher by the name of Andrew Hoffmann from the Royals. Here's how that deal has panned out since.
Jun 24, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox outfielder Randal Grichuk (34) reacts after hitting a home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the ninth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The early production out of Grichuk was minimal. He had a .734 OPS in 70 games with Arizona in the first half of 2025, but that plummeted to a 206/.267/.299 slash and .566 OPS once he joined Kansas City . Arizona was not particularly wanting for Grichuk's bat in the two months following the deal.
The Royals would end up going 82-80 in that season, missing the playoffs by a five-game margin. Their buying efforts did not lead to a playoff berth.
Grichuk, after his contract expired in the offseason, signed a deal with the Yankees . He hit .194 for a .535 OPS in New York to open 2026, which led to his eventual DFA. He signed a free agent deal with the Chicago White Sox and saw his bat surge back to life. He's slugging .556 and has an .849 OPS with the White Sox.
Ultimately, Grichuk did not serve the Royals as well as might have been anticipated. At the time, it looked like a major potential win for Arizona. But unfortunately for the D-backs, they have yet to see much from their side of the deal, as well.
Apr 28, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Andrew Hoffmann (56) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the sixth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Hoffmann showed potential initially. In his first five games with the D-backs, he allowed just one run over 5.1 innings. His mid-90's fastball and sharp, plunging changeup were effective when well-located.
But then began a string of rough outings. Hoffmann was charged with four earned runs in 0.1 innings to the Rockies, then another run in 0.2 innings his next time out. His ERA ballooned above 6.00 and he was optioned to Reno, where he proceeded to land on the IL for a brief period.
Hoffmann began 2026 on the major league roster, and once again looked sharp initially. He threw 6.2 innings and allowed only one unearned run. And then, he gave up one or more runs in four straight outings, including an eight-run outburst in just 0.1 innings at the hands of the Brewers.
Hoffmann was optioned to Reno once again, where he posted a 6.08 ERA in 12 games. He hit the IL with a shoulder injury on June 13 , and has since been transferred to the 60-day IL.
So as it stands, neither team involved in this deal got the returns they were hoping for. Hoffmann has potential to turn into a bullpen weapon and is still just 26 years old, but he hasn't been able to stick in the majors. Grichuk is performing well in a platoon role, but for neither of the teams involved in this trade.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi as One Year Later, Diamondbacks' Randal Grichuk Trade Looks Rough .
