Diamondbacks Surprisingly Dump 25-Year-Old Outfielder

The Arizona Diamondbacks designated 25-year-old outfielder Jorge Barrosa for assignment on Friday, a corresponding move after reinstating outfielder Tommy Troy from the 10-day injured list, per the MLB.com transaction log.

Barrosa, a switch-hitting Venezuelan signed as an amateur in 2017, had been on Arizona’s major-league roster all season.

He was out of options after the club added him to the 40-man roster in November 2022 to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. The undersized 5-foot-6 speed-and-defense specialist produced in the minor leagues, but has never found a consistent offensive foothold in the majors.

In 2026, he hit .201/.285/.343 with two home runs, 12 RBI and three stolen bases in 134 at-bats across 97 games, mostly as a reserve. He had not appeared in any of Arizona’s previous six games.

Career numbers are even thinner: a .180/.241/.302 line with three homers and 20 RBI in 254 plate appearances (49 wRC+), a 6.3 percent walk rate and a 26 percent strikeout rate.

That production gap is what finally cost him his roster spot, which is still somewhat surprising.

Scouts long praised Barrosa’s speed, center-field range and plate discipline in the minors, where he posted a .279/.377/.437 line (97 wRC+) at Triple-A. Power never arrived at the big-league level, and the Diamondbacks ran out of patience with a bat that lagged well behind his glove.

The glove remains a selling point. In 623 2/3 innings — mostly in center — Barrosa has been credited with six Defensive Runs Saved and 11 Outs Above Average.

That profile could still attract a claim on waivers now that the trade deadline has passed. A team looking for cheap, athletic outfield depth might bet that the bat eventually catches up. If he goes unclaimed, Arizona can keep him as non-roster organizational depth.

For a club sitting 74-67 and second in the NL West, the move is a late-season roster tweak more than a seismic shift. Troy’s return gives Arizona another body in a crowded outfield that already includes Corbin Carroll, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and others.

Barrosa’s DFA simply confirms what his playing time already showed: the organization no longer saw him as part of the everyday picture.

Whether another club takes a chance on the 25-year-old’s tools or he remains in the Diamondbacks’ system as extra depth, the next few days will decide if his major-league chapter with Arizona is over or merely paused.