The Diamondbacks need to make some additions in the trade market if they are going to seriously challenge the Giants for the N.L. West down the stretch. They could really use a better hitting LF. Josh Willingham, Alfonso Soriano, Ryan Ludwick, Jeff Francoeur, Carlos Beltran and Hunter Pence all make sense. Heck, maybe even Justin Upton’s brother (B.J.) who is on the trading block. The Diamondbacks could also use an upgrade at 1B with Carlos Pena, Derrek Lee and James Loney making sense for them. With Stephen Drew out for the season, the D-Backs could use a decent SS to finish out the 2011 season. Clint Barmes and Jason Bartlett would cost the most prospect wise. If the D-Backs want to aim lower, Orlando Cabrera, Mike Aviles, Jack Wilson and Rafael Furcal are also available. The Diamondbacks also need relievers (both righties and lefties). Frank Francisco, Jon Rauch, Octavio Dotel, Jason Frasor, Koji Uehara, Grant Balfour, Brad Ziegler, Michael Wuertz, Kerry Wood, Rafael Betancourt, Matt Lindstrom, Mike Adams, Chad Qualls and Matt Guerrier are all available from the right side. Any of them would improve the D-Backs’ bullpen a lot. The D-Backs will be looking to deal for one lefty reliever with Will Ohman, Arthur Rhodes, Craig Breslow, Jerry Blevins, Tim Byrdak and John Grabow. The D-Backs need to make some bold moves to reinforce the roster for the last two months of the year.

The Diamondbacks don’t want to blow up the roster but they still want to shed some payroll if possible. With that in mind I would send shortstop Stephen Drew to the Tigers for 2B Scott Sizemore and 2B/SS Danny Worth. I would follow that up with dealing Adam LaRoche to the Rangers for 1B Chris Davis, C Taylor Teagarden and righty reliever Pedro Strop. Sizemore and Strop would give the D-Backs a couple of potential high impact prospects. Chris Davis is a first base version of Mark Reynolds with a lot of power but a lot of whiffs. Those are two moves the D-Backs would have to make if they were offered.

The Diamondbacks are 32-51 on the season which has them in last place in the A.L. West, 17.5 games behind the Padres. The D-Backs fired GM Josh Byrnes last week and they have given the job to Jerry DiPoto on a interim basis. He will now get to show if he’s indeed ready for the job on a full time basis this month. The D-Backs have nice trade chips in Adam LaRoche, Kelly Johnson, Stephen Drew, Dan Haren and Edwin Jackson. They will likely also be looking to move Chris Snyder, Rodrigo Lopez and Chad Qualls this month. I think the D-Backs will get a nice haul of high level prospects by the end of July.

The Diamondbacks can’t wait to fortify a weak bullpen or they are going to sabotage the rest of the year. With that in mind the top four targets of the D-Backs should be Kerry Wood (Indians), Octavio Dotel (Pirates) and Jason Frasor & Scott Downs (Blue Jays). Downs and Frasor are the guys pitching the best of this bunch but the Blue Jays would probably want outfielder Gerardo Parra for either of them and that price might be too high for the D-Backs’ blood. Kerry Wood’s stuff looks excellent but the results aren’t there yet for the Indians. The Indians would likely have to send all of his pay to get Rusty Ryal and Kevin Mulvey or Billy Buckner back. I would aim more for Octavio Dotel as the Pirates would also be willing to probably toss in Brendan Donnelly, D.J. Carrasco or Javier Lopez if they could get back Mulvey, Buckner and Ryal. I think I would send those three guys to the Pirates for Dotel and Carrasco which would bolster the pen without giving the Pirates a outstanding package of players.

The Cleveland Indians are in dire need of starting pitching and they have a couple of cheap infielders that could fill needs with the D-Backs. With that in mind the Diamondbacks should offer Yusmeiro Petit to the Indians for Josh Barfield and Andy Marte. The Indians would jump at that offer and the D-Backs would benefit. Barfield has a nice upside and he would likely start at 2B for the D-Backs next season.

UPDATE: This trade won’t happen because the D-Backs lost Petit on waivers to the Mariners. This was dumb of the D-Backs who should have tried to trade him before cutting him.