The Arizona Diamondbacks have had a busy weekend from a transactions perspective, including designating a pair of notable players for assignment. On Sunday, the D-Backs pressed the DFA button on catcher Carson Kelly, roughly a day after doing the same to former top outfield prospect Kristian Robinson.
Kelly, 29, originally joined the Diamondbacks as part of the winter 2018 trade that shipped first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to the St. Louis Cardinals. In parts of five seasons with Arizona, he batted .230/.316/.397 (93 OPS+) with 44 home runs and 153 RBI. His most productive season happened to be his first, as he posted a 112 OPS+ in 2019 that he's threatened just once since (in 2021).
Kelly's impending departure means that the book is nearly closed on the Goldschmidt trade from the Diamondbacks perspective. Right-hander Luke Weaver and infielder Andrew Young have long since left the organization. The last remaining piece of that deal is outfielder Dominic Fletcher, who the D-Backs selected with their acquired competitive-balance round pick. Fletcher is an outfielder with 28 MLB appearances.
It's fair to write that said trade has not worked out as desired for Arizona:
| Player | Team | WAR since trade |
|---|---|---|
Kelly | ARI | 4.5 |
Weaver | ARI | 1.9 |
Young | ARI | -0.9 |
Fletcher | ARI | 0.7 |
Goldschmidt | STL | 20.8 |
Robinson, meanwhile, was considered by several publications to be a top-50 prospect entering the 2020 season. He's played in just 43 minor-league games since, having run afoul of the law in the earliest stages of the COVID-19 pandemic for assaulting a police officer. Robinson, only 22, has hit .271/.384/.452 in 185 plate appearances across three levels this year.
The Diamondbacks also optioned pitcher Ryne Nelson and infielder Emmanuel Rivera to the minors; activated backstop Gabriel Moreno from the 10-day injured list; and purchased the contracts of infielder Buddy Kennedy and right-hander (and former first-round pick) Bryce Jarvis.
