The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired LHP Kohl Drake (assigned to Triple-A Reno), LHP Mitch Bratt (assigned to Double-A Amarillo) and RHP David Hagaman (assigned to High-A Hillsboro) from the Texas Rangers for RHP Merrill Kelly. The D-backs’ 40-man roster is at 39.
Kohl Drake MLB.com
LHP**│**B/T: L/L**│**Age: 25 (July 17, 2000) in Orem, Utah**│**6-5, 220
- Rangers No. 5 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
- Began this season with Double-A Frisco and in 12 starts, went 4-3 with a 2.44 ERA (17 R-15 ER in 55.1 IP), opponent .164 AVG, 0.98 WHIP and 70 strikeouts.
- Promoted to Triple-A Round Rock on July 1 and in 4 games (3 starts), went 1-1 with a 5.19 ERA (11 R-10 ER in 17.1 IP) and 17 strikeouts.
- In parts of 3 seasons (2023-25) in the Rangers system, went 16-14 with a 3.39 ERA (97 R-85 ER in 225.1 IP), opponent .222 AVG and 290 strikeouts in 53 games (38 starts).
- Selected by the Rangers in the fifth round of the 2021 draft.
Mitch Bratt MLB.com
LHP**│** B/T: L/L │ Age: 22 (July 3, 2003) in Newmarket, Ontario (CAN) │ 6-1, 190
- Rangers’ No. 9 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
- 2-time MiLB.com Organizational All-Star (2022-23).
- In his second stint with Double-A Frisco this season, went 6-3 with a 3.18 ERA (32 ER in 90.2 IP), opponent .259 AVG, 16 walks and 106 strikeouts over 18 games (17 starts).
- In parts of 5 seasons (2021-25) in the Rangers system, went 22-17 with a 3.39 ERA (135 ER in 358.0 IP), 99 walks (2.49 BB/9.0 IP) and 412 strikeouts (10.36 K/9.0 IP) in 83 games (73 starts).
- Selected by the Rangers in the fifth round of the 2021 draft…relocated from his hometown of Newmarket, Ontario to the U.S. to raise his stock prior to the draft, as Canada’s COVID-19 travel protocols made scouting difficult…transferred to Georgia Premier Academy in Statesboro, Ga. as a senior, where he was drafted out of.
- Rated as the third-best Canadian prospect in the 2021 draft class (Baseball America) and was committed to play collegiately at Florida State.
David Hagaman MiLB.com
RHP**│**B/T: R/R │**Age: 22 (April 16, 2003) in Somers Point, N.J.│6-4, 215**
- Rangers No. 13 prospect by MLB Pipeline.
- In 5 games with the Low-A Hickory, went 0-1 with a 3.52 ERA (9 R-6 ER in 15.1 IP), opponent .182 AVG and 16 strikeouts.
- In 1 season in the Rangers system, between Rookie ACL Rangers and Low-A Hickory, made 8 starts with a 2.82 ERA (10 R-7 ER in 22.1 IP), an opponent .188 AVG, 0.94 WHIP, 6 walks and 28 strikeouts.
- Selected by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 2024 draft out of West Virginia.
Merrill Kelly, 36, played his 7 career MLB seasons (2019-25) for the D-backs, going 62-50 with a 3.74 ERA (396 ER in 953.0 IP), opponent .237 AVG, 1.19 WHIP, 290 walks and 865 strikeouts.
- His 62 career wins and 953.0 career innings ranked third all-time by a D-back starter, behind Randy Johnson (118 W; 1630.1 IP) and Brandon Webb (87 W; 1319.2 IP).
- His 865 career strikeouts ranked seventh on the club's all-time strikeouts list, behind Randy Johnson (2,077), Brandon Webb (1,065), Robbie Ray (998), Zac Gallen (963), Patrick Corbin (897) and Curt Schilling (875).
- Ranked among NL leaders this season in innings (6th, 128.2), opponent AVG (6th, .206) and WHIP (7th, 1.07).
- In the 2023 MLB Postseason, went 3-1 with a 2.25 ERA (6 ER in 24.0 IP), 0.83 WHIP and 28 strikeouts in 4 starts…allowed 1 run or fewer in 3 of his 4 games and led the team in wins, strikeouts and WHIP.
- In Game 2 of the 2023 World Series @ Rangers, became the fourth D-backs pitcher (fifth time overall) to allow 1 run or fewer over 7.0+ innings in a World Series start (also: Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling [2x] and Miguel Batista… his 9 strikeouts tied Schilling for second-most strikeouts in a World Series game by a D-backs starter behind Johnson’s 11…also retired the first 11 batters, surpassing the record for most consecutive batters retired by a D-backs’ pitcher to start a World Series game (prev: 10 by Randy Johnson on Oct. 28, 2001 in Game 2 vs. Yankees) [Elias Sports Bureau].
- 2021 D-backs’ Most Valuable Pitcher by the Arizona chapter of the BBWAA.
- Signed by D-backs as a free agent on Dec. 7, 2018 after playing 4 seasons (2015-18) with the SK Wyverns in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO).
- Grew up in Scottsdale, Ariz., and attended Desert Mountain High School, Yavapai College and Arizona State University…was 1 of 7 D-backs all-time to attend both high school and college in the state of Arizona.