It was a Saturday morning that Jake McCarthy and his wife Sophie would never forget. While celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary in their Scottsdale, Arizona home, McCarthy’s phone rang with the kind of news that can change a career overnight. His agent delivered the surprise: the Arizona Diamondbacks had traded him to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Josh Grosz. Both teams swiftly confirmed the deal on X, sending ripples through the baseball community and setting the stage for a fresh chapter in both players’ journeys.
“Pretty crazy morning. Whenever something like that happens, it catches you off-guard,” McCarthy admitted, reflecting on the whirlwind turn of events. The timing couldn’t have been more unexpected—just two days earlier, McCarthy had inked a one-year, $1.525 million deal with Arizona to avoid arbitration. Yet, baseball is a business where change comes fast, and McCarthy knew it well. “You accept that things could change very, very quickly,” he said. “Obviously, when you get the call, you’re kind of like, Whoa! But I can’t express how excited I am to get to Colorado.”
For the Diamondbacks, the trade was partly a matter of roster management. With a surplus of outfielders, McCarthy had been the subject of trade rumors for over a year. Now, he heads to a Rockies squad eager for outfield depth, joining the likes of Brenton Doyle, Mickey Moniak, and Jordan Beck. Ironically, the Rockies and Diamondbacks share the same spring training facility—Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale. “I’ve got to drive like 100 yards past where I have been turning in,” McCarthy joked, acknowledging the oddity of switching sides in such familiar territory. Colorado’s first trip to Arizona is already circled on the calendar for May 21-24, promising an early reunion.
McCarthy’s 2025 season was a rollercoaster. He struggled mightily out of the gate, starting 0 for 24 and batting just .073 through 14 games before being sent down to Triple-A Reno. There, he found his rhythm, hitting .314 across 49 games with 43 runs, 15 doubles, four triples, a home run, 16 RBIs, and 12 steals in 15 attempts. Recalled by Arizona in June, McCarthy finished the year with a .204 average, 18 runs, seven doubles, five triples, four homers, 20 RBIs, and a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen bases over 67 games. It was a far cry from his breakout 2024 campaign, when he slashed .285/.349/.400 with eight home runs in 142 games, but the flashes of speed and defensive prowess remained evident.
“Last year wasn’t great,” McCarthy admitted. “I was grateful to have the opportunity to go to camp this year and do what I think I’m capable of doing. All the motivation factors are still the same, it’s just in a different place.” That place, of course, is Colorado, where McCarthy hopes to carve out a role and prove his worth. “I’m very excited to walk into a building in February and have a shot to contribute and earn a job and show people what I can do,” he said. “Obviously I want to be involved, but there’s no expectation. I want to go out and earn it and show people what I’m capable of.”
McCarthy leaves Arizona with a legacy of perseverance and camaraderie. Drafted in the first round (39th overall) in 2018, he made his MLB debut on April 27, 2021. Over five seasons with the Diamondbacks, he compiled a .260 average, 339 hits, 24 home runs, 139 RBIs, 185 runs, and 83 stolen bases in 431 games. He was a vital part of the team’s resurgence in 2022 and 2023, even earning NL Rookie of the Year votes in 2022. “A lot of good friends. I was actually with a few guys from the team (Friday) night watching the football game,” McCarthy reminisced. “A lot of us live out here. There’s a lot of guys on that team that I kind of grew up with, got drafted with, climbed the ranks through the minors. I think that’s the hardest part of it all. When you sign up for this job, you understand things can change at the drop of a hat. Saying goodbye to people I’ve been around the last six years is definitely tough. Same thing with my wife. She made a ton of friends with the other wives and things like that. That’s certainly going to be different, but really, really excited to get to work in Colorado. I really liked playing there. It’s one of my favorite parks to visit.”
On the other side of the deal, the Diamondbacks acquire a young arm with intriguing upside. Josh Grosz, 23, was drafted by the Yankees in the 11th round of the 2023 MLB Draft and joined the Rockies ahead of the 2025 trade deadline as part of the deal that sent Ryan McMahon to New York. In 2025, Grosz split time between High-A Hudson Valley and Spokane, making 22 starts in 23 appearances. He posted a 5-14 record with a 4.67 ERA, 55 walks, and an impressive 135 strikeouts over 125.1 innings. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the Rockies’ No. 20 prospect as of January 10, 2026.
Grosz’s arsenal has evolved since turning pro. According to MLB Pipeline, “Grosz has added a couple of ticks of velocity to his fastball since turning pro and now works at 93-95 mph and touches 98 with quality riding action. He creates high spin rates on his heater and his mid-80s slider, and the Yankees have helped him increase the break on the latter pitch. His upper-80s changeup is firm yet effective because its fade and sink keep left-handers at bay. The 6-foot-4 Grosz mixes an upright delivery with a low three-quarters arm slot. He has fringy control and command, and his fastball is his lone better-than-average offering. He has the ceiling of a back-of-the-rotation starter and could end up as a multi-inning reliever.”
Grosz’s 2025 numbers may not leap off the page, but the Diamondbacks are clearly betting on his potential. With a career minor league ERA of 4.26 in 247 innings, he’ll continue his development in Arizona’s system, likely aiming to reach Double-A in 2026. His addition gives the Diamondbacks a bit more flexibility on their 40-man roster, which now stands at 39, and a projectable arm to nurture as they look to bolster their pitching depth.
For Arizona, the trade is part of a broader offseason strategy. The club has made modest moves so far, adding pitchers Michael Soroka and Merrill Kelly, but still faces questions about bullpen depth and offensive upgrades. The loss of McCarthy’s speed and defensive acumen will be felt, but the hope is that Grosz’s raw tools can be refined into a valuable piece of the pitching staff down the line.
As for McCarthy, the next few weeks will be about settling into a new city, a new clubhouse, and a new role. “I really think they have a good group of young guys who are getting better and better,” he said of the Rockies. With spring training just around the corner—and a familiar drive to the same complex—he’ll have every opportunity to make his mark in Colorado.
Trades like this are a reminder of just how quickly the landscape can shift in Major League Baseball. One phone call, and everything changes. For Jake McCarthy and Josh Grosz, the 2026 season promises fresh starts and new challenges, with both players eager to prove themselves in their new uniforms.
