Late Thursday, the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired left-handed reliever A.J. Puk from the Miami Marlins. In return, the Marlins received prospects Deyvison De Los Santos and Andrew Pintar.
Puk, 29, initially started the season with the Marlins but was moved to the bullpen after a rough stretch in the rotation. As a reliever, he’s posted a stellar 2.08 ERA with 33 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings. With a career ERA+ of 109 over five seasons, Puk will likely serve as the Diamondbacks’ key lefty setup man behind closer Paul Sewald. He is under contract until after the 2026 season.
For the Marlins, 21-year-old De Los Santos is the centerpiece of the deal. A participant in the 2024 Futures Game, he has hit 28 home runs in 87 games across Double-A and Triple-A this season, boasting a .293/.343/.508 career line in the minors. Pintar, 23, has a .266/.355/.413 line over two minor-league seasons and was recently promoted to Double-A.
The trade suggests the Diamondbacks are committed to strengthening their roster for a playoff push. Despite trailing the Dodgers in the NL West, they are a game behind the Padres for the third NL wild-card spot, with the race tight among nine teams within 5 1/2 games of the final playoff berth.