Hazen Says Diamondbacks Will Shop for Bullpen Help, Also Targets a Left-Handed Bat

The Arizona Diamondbacks are preparing for a July Trade Deadline where the short list is no longer just about keeping games close. General manager Mike Hazen said on MLB Network Radio that bullpen upgrades are a necessity in the market, and he also confirmed that the club wants to add at least one left-handed bat to strengthen the lineup’s impact.

In Hazen’s remarks, the offensive need was framed around power and platoon balance. “I probably need a little more thump in the lineup, probably a little more power, probably need to get a little more left-handed,” Hazen said, according to MLB Trade Rumors’ account of the interview. The Diamondbacks, entering the day of the interview, were described as among the league’s bottom three teams in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage against right-handed pitching, and they were at 85 wRC+ as the worst mark in MLB.

That split matters because most contenders are trying to make their run production less match-up dependent as the postseason approaches. For Arizona, the diagnosis appears to be that the lineup has not only struggled overall, but has especially struggled in the most common path to big innings: facing right-handed pitching and still generating extra bases.

On the pitching side, Hazen’s emphasis was blunt. He said, essentially, that bullpen help is something “everybody needs,” and that Arizona expects to pursue additions. MLB Trade Rumors also noted that over the club’s first 64 games, the starters have absorbed significantly more workload than the bullpen. Starters rank fifth in MLB with 357 1/3 innings pitched, while relievers rank second-to-last with 209 1/3 innings, which suggests the Diamondbacks have not had to lean on their late arms as heavily as some teams do.

Yet Hazen’s goal is not merely innings management. MLB Trade Rumors reported that Arizona’s bullpen performers are concentrated, with a core group accounting for most of the work, and that the club’s top options come with uncertainty. Among the group most heavily used, Paul Sewald, Juan Morillo, Kevin Ginkel, Ryan Thompson, Jonathan Loáisiga, Taylor Clarke, and Brandyn Garcia have combined for a 2.51 ERA and 3.41 SIERA across their shared workload. Sewald, despite carrying more responsibility as the closer, was cited with a 15-for-16 conversion rate in save opportunities, along with a 3.47 ERA and 3.58 SIERA.

The bigger issue, per the same report, is that Arizona’s “worst case” involves both volatility and depth. MLB Trade Rumors pointed out that Brandon Pfaadt and Andrew Hoffman, now at Triple-A Reno, have skewed earlier bullpen outcomes, and it also suggested that while the current relief group is not in ruinous shape, the club wants another late-game arm plus extra innings coverage over the final four months.

Arizona’s day-to-day rotation planning reinforces that approach. MLB Trade Rumors reported that Diamondbacks starters are averaging just under 5 2/3 innings per game, which can make bullpen depth more important as pitchers’ pitch counts fluctuate and matchups tighten. Hazen added that the team hopes it will not need to expend significant resources on additional rotation help if Pfaadt can get on track down in Triple-A.

What to watch next is how Arizona defines its targets once the market becomes concrete. The front office has indicated two clear tracks: a left-handed bat with enough power to change outcomes, and at least one back-end pitching addition that can handle high-leverage spots without forcing the club to overuse its most proven relievers. For fans, the trade-deadline question becomes whether the Diamondbacks can find those upgrades without compromising the rest of their roster-building approach as the season moves into its most decisive stretch.