On Friday night in St. Louis, left-hander Robbie Ray threw strikes, missed bats, worked deep into the game and limited damage. He did all the things that make him a valuable member of the Diamondbacks rotation – and all the things that make him arguably the most attractive starting pitcher that could be available at the trade deadline.
The Diamondbacks, of course, haven’t publicly signaled whether they will buy or sell at the deadline, instead indicating that they will determine that based on how the club performs over the next two weeks.
But if they sell, rival evaluators say Ray ranks among the best pitchers potentially available, alongside Giants lefty Madison Bumgarner, Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman and Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler.