Diamondbacks' Cristian Mena: Dealt to D-backs

The White Sox traded Mena to the Diamondbacks in exchange for Dominic Fletcher on Saturday, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Since his promotion to Double-A in 2022, Mena has struggled to find his footing in the minor leagues. He managed a 4.66 ERA and 1.35 WHIP across 23 starts in Double-A last season and surrendered 13 runs in 19.2 frames upon arriving in Triple-A. Arizona general manager Mike Hazen said Mena will likely begin 2024 at Triple-A Reno and could be a rotation option later in the year, per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. The 21-year-old right-hander will need to show significant improvement before joining the Diamondbacks' rotation -- a task that may prove difficult in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.