NL West Trade Deadline In Review: Diamondbacks Make Baffling Move Backwards While Giants, Dodgers Take Impressive Strides

Kevin Towers should be embarrassed with himself.

Yes, it's statement rarely declared; probably never during his tenure in Arizona. But it's the truth.

While the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers were busy making blockbusters, Arizona general manger Kevin Towers was busy doing his best Kool-Aid Man impression. Sure, his intention was to quench everyone's thirst with some delicious fruity punch but did he really make anything better now that there's a huge ass hole in our living room wall?

Okay, I'll admit that trading Craig Breslow for Matt Albers and Scott Podsednik might not be on the same level as some serious structural damage to one's home but it certainly didn't make Arizona a better team. Nor did it make much sense.

I mean come on; can someone who doesn't work for the Diamondbacks' organization please rationalize to me how trading one of your most reliable relievers for an overachieving, walk-prone bullpen arm with a career ERA of 4.78 improves a team in pennant race? Oh yeah, duh. Obviously they needed more mediocre depth at an already log-jammed position. Look out NL West! The D-backs are going eight outfielders deep!

I'm not here to preach that Towers should have went out and made a marquee acquisition to counter L.A. and San Fran's moves. If anything, the man who I've affectionately nicknamed "the Midas of the 40-Man Roster" did more bad then good by throwing away weeks of damage control with some last second rekindling of the Justin Upton trade rumors just for a big-time pitcher (and let's all pray that the J-Up for Matt Garza deal was entirely fabricated in Buster Olney's crazy cranium).

As I stated last week, the players that will determine whether or not the D-backs make the postseason again are already on the roster. And even with impressive adds like Hanley Ramirez, Shane Victorino, Brandon League and Hunter Pence, I still fully believe that Arizona owns the most complete roster from top to bottom, especially when you include their farm system.

But that doesn't take away from the fact that trading Breslow for the corpse of utility outfielder and a ham sandwich was dumb move. No, not because the team's IQ notably dropped with the departure of the smartest man in baseball. It was a dumb move because with it, the D-backs took one step backwards while watching their rivals take two steps forward.

Not exactly the message you want to send the fan base as you attempt to repeat as NL West Champions, right?

Please don't think this is me pushing the panic button though. If anything, this is the wild rantings of man spoiled by Tower's seemingly perpetual ability to do no wrong.

The D-backs didn't considerably downgrade their chances with the loss of Breslow. All I'm saying is that they would have been better off if Towers took his curtain call after acquiring Chris Johnson.

Instead of trading Breslow to clear room for Patrick Corbin, just picture Towers confidently reclining in his office chair while Brian Sabean and Ned Colletti threw their prospects at bottom-feeding teams in desperation. I mean, I realize baller isn't an adjective, but that would have been the only word to describe Towers' actions if he just had the conviction to say "you know, I've assembled a pretty damn good team. Time to play some minesweeper."

Instead, everyone will be calling the Giants and Dodgers "winners" in the upcoming days while D-backs fans will be forced to take solace in Albers' 94.1 MPH fastball velocity this season (and credit to Nick Piecoro's reporting skills to somehow find a glass-half full scenario while the rest of the world sits dumbfounded).

So here's to hoping Towers somehow pulls of another post-deadline fleecing like he did last year when he flipped Kelly Johnson for Aaron Hill and John McDonald. But don't hold your breath folks. As it turns out, everybody's favorite magic man GM just might be human after all.