Just days after J.D. Martinez signed with Boston, Arizona found his replacement. Steven Souza Jr. is headed to Arizona in the three team deal that sent Brandon Drury to New York, with Tampa receiving prospects. Souza Jr. is slotted to be the everyday right fielder for Arizona. He will probably also be given the role of protecting Paul Goldschmitt in the D-backs lineup. And just like that Arizona fills both holes left by Martinez with one smart move. No one, including the D-backs, is expecting Souza Jr. to put up Martinez-like numbers, but he is a more productive hitter than meets the eye. Souza Jr. had a good year last season despite hitting .239. He smacked 30 home runs and drove in 78 runs for a below average offensive club. Expect that production to go up as he’ll be centered in a better lineup and have more RBI opportunities. Arizona faithful should expect Souza Jr. to fit in well and be a good piece for a ball club that will be a serious contender this season.
