Arizona Diamondbacks trade for reliever David Hernandez from Angels

David Hernandez should be a familiar name for Diamondbacks fans, having pitched here from 2011 through 2015. He was originally with the Orioles, but came to Arizona in the trade for Mark Reynolds. He put up solid enough numbers here, a 3.54 ERA (113 ERA+) over 233.2 innings of work for the Diamondbacks. He became a free agent at the end of the 2015 season, and was with the Phillies the following year, then signed with the Braves late in spring training this season. He was only with Atlanta for a month, before being dealt to the Angels. He has had very solid numbers this year, a 2.23 ERA over 36.1 innings, with a K:BB ratio of 37.8 and a FIP of 1.86.

In exchange, the word is that the D-backs are sending Luis Madero to the Angels. The 20-year-old is a right-handed pitcher, who has been pitching in low-A ball with Hillsboro and at rookie league Missoula. He has a 5.69 ERA and a K:BB of 45:11 over 49 innings.

Hernandez will bolster the D-backs bullpen, and will like slot in to a seventh inning role behind Archie Bradley and Fernando Rodney. He’s basically earning league minimum, so this seems like a decent pick-up for the D-backs. Presuming Hernandez can sustain the level of performance he has had so far, he’ll be not too far off some much more expensive relief trade candidates, such as Zack Britton. He now also joins Paul Goldschmidt as the only players who were part of the team, the last time the D-backs reached the post-season, in 2011.