The Show Notes #27: Will Jordan Lawlar Find An Opportunity With Arizona?
Jordan Lawlar is one of the most talented shortstops to come out of Texas during the 21st century and he is running out of breathing room on Arizona's 25-man roster.
One of the highest rated prospects to come out of Dallas, Texas during the 21st century, 23-year-old infielder Jordan Lawlar has been patiently waiting for an opportunity to establish himself on Arizona’s 25-man roster. The Diamondbacks have also been patient with Lawlar, as he has been hampered by various injuries that have limited him to only 105 games played over the past two seasons. He was drafted by Arizona with the sixth overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft out of high school and forewent a commitment to Vanderbilt’s elite college baseball program to begin his professional baseball career. He tore through the minor leagues with a 5-tool profile that convinced the D-Backs to promote him to the majors only two years after he was drafted.
The sudden emergence of shortstop Geraldo Perdomo as an All-Star level talent alongside 3x All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte has left the Diamondbacks with one of the most productive middle infield duos in MLB, preventing Lawlar from breaking through as a middle infielder unless someone is traded or moved to a different position. Tim Tawa has shown he is capable enough to be the D-Backs superutility player, recording appearances at six different positions on the defensive spectrum for Arizona in 2025. These developments along with the trade of Eugenio Suárez to the Seattle Mariners has left third base as the only open spot on the Diamondbacks 25-man roster for the foreseeable future unless Lawlar decides to convert to center field on a full-time basis or another move is made that gives the 23-year-old shortstop more breathing room to try and establish himself as a full-time major leaguer with the club that drafted him.
An interesting rumor about second baseman Ketel Marté frequently rubbing teammates and coaches the wrong way with his countenance on and off the field made its way down the grapevine during the 2025 season before being enthusiastically shut down by Geraldo Perdomo. Maybe Perdomo was just being a leader and making sure the situation didn’t deteriorate further by lying through his teeth. Maybe there never really was any issue in the D-Backs club house to begin with. It is something to take note of, especially considering Arizona’s need for pitching, Marté’s age/contract, and the fact that something must been done with Jordan Lawlar. His main competition for Arizona’s third base job is 26-year-old Blaze Alexander, who has shown to be a slightly above-average bat with a solid glove at the hot corner across 63 games during the current season. It will be interesting to see if Lawlar gets an opportunity to compete against Alexander during Spring Training in 2026, as it will tell us a lot about his future in Arizona.
Teams That Could Pry Lawlar Away From Arizona
Yes, Lawlar is Arizona’s least expensive and most talented option to plug in at any spot on the middle or left side of the infield for the rest of the decade, but what if Arizona gets a trade offer for the right-handed infielder that they can’t refuse? They have other viable options to man third base and have bigger needs elsewhere, specifically the starting rotation and bullpen. Arizona’s farm system is flush with position player talent but possesses few viable starting pitching prospects. The Gallen-Chisholm Jr. trade was a swish from downtown for the Diamondbacks front office, so why not try to pull off something similar if another team wants to tango? Selling high on Lawlar is an option the Diamondbacks brain trust sooner or later has to be considering if they’re worth their salt, so let’s look at some of the clubs who are in position to make such a move if Lawlar recoups his value by staying healthy.
Rays
The Trade: T.J. Nichols, Yoniel Curet and Gary Gill Hill for Jordan Lawlar
The Tampa Bay Rays front office is always on the prowl looking to acquire undervalued players with traits that they can maximize and improve. They’re also adept at patiently waiting for talented players to slip through the cracks because of another ball club’s specific need(s) and/or lack of room on its 25-man or 40-man roster. I can see the Rays digging into its deep bag of pitching depth in an attempt to put together a package to pry away Jordan Lawlar. The shortstop position has been a net negative for Tampa Bay in the wake of Wander Franco catching a weird case.
The Ha-Seong Kim signing was an ambitious, yet abject failure. Taylor Walls has struggled to the abysmal tune of a 70 wRC+ for his career. There will also be a need for warm bodies to put at other infield spots, as Brandon Lowe is set to be a free agent at the end of the 2025 season. 22-year-old Carson Williams has a lot of potential and has already flashed his ability to slug, but there is still a lot for him to prove to gain Kevin Cash’s trust as Tampa Bay’s full-time shortstop. It seems like there’s going to be a lot of opportunity to get playing time on the infield dirt for the Rays next year, so why not Jordan Lawlar? The Rays have a literal plethora of starting pitching depth in the lower and upper minors to choose from and a clear need for infield talent at the major league level.
Tigers
The Trade: Jackson Jobe for Jordan Lawlar
The lack of talent on the left side of the Tigers infield has held the club back from finding even more success during its sudden ascension to the top of the AL Central. Flipping one postseason of Jack Flaherty for full control of SS Trey Sweeney was smart, but Sweeney has floundered up to this point of his brief MLB career. Drafted in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft, 3B/2B Jace Jung has scuffled during his couple cups of coffee in the majors. The acquisition of Justyn-Henry Malloy has not gone to plan either, leaving Detroit no option but to compete with two wily veterans over the age of 30 on the left side of the dirt in Zack McKinstry and Javy Báez.
This scenario is perfect for the D-Backs front office to swoop in and offer the services of Jordan Lawlar in exchange for Jackson Jobe in a one-for-one deal similar to the one made between Miami and Arizona that saw Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Zac Gallen switch teams. The two twenty-three year olds have a similarly lengthy history of injuries to go with their long track records of top-tier performance. Detroit and Arizona have the farm system depth to make such a trade, especially since the amount of risk is equal for both clubs with it being a one-for-one deal. Both prospects involved in this trade have similar floors and ceilings: They could be perennial All-Stars during the 2030s or both could never accrue five years of service time as every day players because of injuries.
Yankees
The Trade: Will Warren and Chase Hampton for Jordan Lawlar
The New York Yankees organization is laden with starting pitching talent in the upper minors and the majors. The Bronx Bombers have kept their rotation performing like a well-oiled machine despite long-term injuries to Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt because of top-tier player development staff that has produced effective rookies like Cam Schlittler and Will Warren. Anthony Volpe’s difficult 2025 season might just be an hiccup, but what if the Yankees front office thinks differently and decide to go in a different direction? While George Lombard Jr. took a huge leap forward during the 2025 season, he still needs more time in the minors to develop. Jordan Lawlar is the perfect candidate for the Yankees to take a gamble on because of his versatility and extremely high ceiling. A Lawlar-Chisholm Jr. middle infield has the chance to be one of the most dynamic position player pairings in the sport. It could be the move that puts the Yankees in position to finally secure a championship during the Aaron Judge Era.
Braves
The Trade: Didier Fuentes and Rayven Antonio for Jordan Lawlar
Atlanta has quietly found themselves in a position where they desperately need infield talent. Luckily, they have a surplus of youthful starting pitchers in the upper minors to cash in on and a lot of options to choose from, including Jordan Lawlar. While Lawlar’s trade value has declined some over the last two seasons because of issues staying healthy, he is still one of the most talented infielders under 25 in professional baseball. Alex Anthopoulos is one of baseball’s most shrewd shotcallers, and flipping one or two of the many intriguing active starting pitchers in the Braves farm system for a middle infielder of Lawlar’s caliber is something he could pull off.
Pirates
The Trade: Braxton Ashcraft and Jared Jones for Jordan Lawlar
A one-for-one or two-for-one deal between Pittsburgh and Arizona with Jordan Lawlar going to the Steel City makes too much sense for both sides. The Pittsburgh Pirates arguably have the most starting pitching talent out of all 30 farm systems and a clear lack of adequate infielders at the major league level. While it is more than likely that they pass on moving any of their starting pitching prospects during the offseason, they’re well-positioned to add position player talent to the organization by making trades. Arizona needs starting pitching talent that is or near major league ready, and has a farm system that is inundated with viable position players who are worthy to be on a 40-man roster. With Lawlar being under team control until 2031, he is a relatively cheap long-term solution for the Pirates at the shortstop position for the rest of the decade. With Konnor Griffin on the fast track while bouncing between center field and shortstop, adding a talented and versatile infielder such as Jordan Lawlar at a discounted price could accelerate the Pirates rebuild.