Offseason In Review: Arizona Diamondbacks

Arizona brought a lot of familiar faces back to the pitching staff, and brought Nolan Arenado back to the NL West.

Major League Signings

• Merrill Kelly, RHP: Two years, $40MM (vesting option for 2028 based on 2027 innings totals)
• Zac Gallen, RHP: One year, $22.025MM ($14.025MM deferred)
• Michael Soroka, RHP: One year, $7.5MM (includes $1MM buyout of $10MM mutual option for 2027)
• James McCann, C: One year, $2.75MM
• Carlos Santana, 1B: One year, $2MM
• Taylor Clarke, RHP: One year, $1.55MM
• Paul Sewald, RHP: One year, $1.5MM

2026 spending: $56.325MM ($14.025MM deferred)
Total spending: $77.325MM

Trades And Claims

• Acquired 3B Nolan Arenado and $31MM from Cardinals for minor league RHP Jack Martinez
• Acquired RHP Kade Strowd, minor league RHP Wellington Aracena, and minor league IF José Mejia from Orioles for IF Blaze Alexander
• Acquired minor league RHP Josh Grosz from Rockies for OF Jake McCarthy
• Acquired minor league OF Avery Owusu-Asiedu from Phillies for LHP Kyle Backhus
• Claimed RHP Grant Holman off waivers from Athletics

Option Decisions

• Lourdes Gurriel Jr., OF: Exercised $13MM player option for 2026 season

Notable Minor League Signings

• Jonathan Loaisiga, Derek Law, Joe Ross, Ildemaro Vargas, Shawn Dubin, Luken Baker, Tommy Henry, Aramis Garcia, Thomas Hatch, Isaiah Campbell, Junior Fernandez, Oscar Mercado, John Curtiss, Jacob Amaya, Juan Centeno, Taylor Rashi

Extensions

• None to date

Notable Losses

• McCarthy, Alexander, Backhus, Jalen Beeks (still unsigned), Gus Varland

Last August’s reports about some clubhouse friction with Ketel Marte led to speculation that the Diamondbacks could potentially be looking to move on from the star second baseman.  These trade rumors dominated the first half of Arizona’s offseason, with nine teams (the Tigers, Reds, Red Sox, Rays, Mariners, Pirates, Phillies, Giants, and Blue Jays) all publicly known to have some interest in Marte’s services.

Despite all of this interest, a swap never came together.  In November, GM Mike Hazen said a Marte deal was “mostly unlikely” to happen, and the D’Backs took the step of placing a seemingly hard deadline on the Marte trade talks in early January.  Hazen and his front office were seemingly willing to listen to offers just out of due diligence, but weren’t going to let the situation linger all winter.

All of this drama came less than a year after Marte signed a new extension that could keep him in Arizona through the 2031 season.  Trading Marte would have gotten the $102.5MM remaining on the contract off of the Diamondbacks’ books, perhaps allowing the team to re-direct that money towards other roster needs.  But, of course, another need would’ve then been created, since it wouldn’t have been easy for the Snakes to replace Marte’s All-Star level of production.

Another interesting wrinkle is that Marte will reach 10 full years of MLB service time about two weeks into the 2026 season, thus giving him full no-trade protection as a 10-and-5 player (10 years in the majors, at least five consecutive years with one team).  There was some thought that the D’Backs might be inclined to move Marte while they still had leverage, but assuming that Hazen indeed sticks to his deadline, it would seem like the former NLCS MVP will indeed be wearing a Diamondbacks uniform on Opening Day.

Ironically, Arizona’s biggest infield-related move of the offseason involved acquiring another player with a full no-trade clause.  The veto power written into the extension Nolan Arenado initially signed with the Rockies back in February 2019 allowed the third baseman to control his fate over two completed trades (his move to Arizona this winter and the February 2021 trade that sent him from the Rockies to the Cardinals), and at least one non-deal (Arenado rejected a proposed trade last offseason that would’ve sent him to the Astros). He reportedly also preferred a move to Arizona than a potential trade that would have sent him to the Athletics over the winter.

The scuttled deal with Houston left Arenado playing on a 78-84 St. Louis team that seemed to be aching to fully start a rebuild, and moving Arenado’s contract was a key element of the Cardinals’ plans.  Heading into this winter, Arenado was more open about expanding his list of approved destinations, reflecting the reality of both the Cards’ situation and his own lowered trade stock.  Arenado’s age-34 season was one of the worst of his career, as he hit .237/.289/.377 with 12 homers over 436 plate appearances, and missed about a month and half of action due to a shoulder strain.

St. Louis was willing to eat a big chunk of Arenado’s remaining salary to accommodate the trade, so the Diamondbacks are covering only $11MM of the $42MM owed to the third baseman over the last two seasons on his contract.  Spending $11MM and giving up an unspectacular pitching prospect (Jack Martinez) to see if Arenado can benefit from a change of scenery seems like a reasonable gambit on Hazen’s part.  Arenado is still a plus defender if nothing else, and while his hitting numbers have been in decline for the last three seasons, the move to Chase Field could perhaps help bump him back up to at least a league-average level of offense.

The Arenado trade was finalized after the Diamondbacks missed out on an even more prominent third base target in Alex Bregman.  Arizona’s reported interest in Bregman surprised many, as such a signing was thought to be out of the spending range for a team that was likely to be reducing payroll, as per statements from team chairman Ken Kendrick back in September.  Like last winter’s blockbuster signing of Scottsdale resident Corbin Burnes, the D’Backs may have been willing to stretch the budget for another star from the Southwest — Bregman is from New Mexico, and grew up cheering for the Diamondbacks.

Bregman ended up signing with the Cubs for five years and $175MM ($70MM of which is deferred), so the Snakes’ interest ended up going for naught.  It isn’t known how fervent Arizona’s pursuit was, and the Marte trade market also certainly impacted the team’s free agent pursuits as well as the broader infield free agent market as a whole.  A team swinging a deal for Marte would probably have less interest in signing Bregman, for instance.  As well, if the D’Backs had to trade Marte to free up money for a Bregman signing, Bregman might have then been less interested in joining an Arizona team that didn’t have a proven star like Marte in the lineup.

Pete Fairbanks, Pierce Johnson, Munetaka Murakami, and old friend Paul Goldschmidt were some of the other free agents besides Bregman who were on Arizona’s radar.  Players linked to the Diamondbacks in trade talks (mostly in Marte-related deals) included Cole Young, Ryan Pepiot, Shane Baz, Brandon Lowe, and Brendan Donovan, plus surely plenty of other names were bandied about in the Diamondbacks’ many negotiations.

If Marte was going to be traded, multiple reports stated that the Diamondbacks were prioritizing controllable pitching in any return.  This ask related both to the natural value of both pitchers, and Arizona’s need for rotation help.  With Merrill Kelly traded to the Rangers at last summer’s deadline and Zac Gallen entering free agency, the D’Backs were seemingly headed into a new era without those two stalwarts atop the rotation….

…except both pitchers are now returning to the desert.  Kelly’s new two-year, $40MM contract wasn’t a huge surprise, as the right-hander expressed an openness about re-signing with the Diamondbacks in the aftermath of the Texas deal.  Gallen’s return on a one-year, $22.025MM deal was a little more of an eye-opener, yet it isn’t a total shock that his market failed to catch fire in the wake of only a so-so 2025 season.  Gallen posted a 4.83 ERA over 192 innings last year, with a 21.5% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate and were both a little below league average.

Between this down year and a 2024 season that was also pretty ordinary, it has now been two years since Gallen has looked like a true frontline ace.  Rejecting Arizona’s qualifying offer also attached draft pick compensation to Gallen’s availability, creating another obstacle for teams wary about signing the right-hander in free agency.  With the market failing to yield an acceptable long-term offer, Gallen re-signed for what is technically the exact price of the qualifying offer, except $14.025MM of his $22.025MM salary is deferred.  This means some short-term savings for the D’Backs and less immediate money for Gallen than if he’d just accepted the QO.

Reuniting Gallen and Kelly filled two big holes in the rotation, even if it means the Diamondbacks are more or less standing pat with the same starting group that posted middling numbers in 2025.  The D’Backs are counting on Gallen to rebound, Eduardo Rodriguez to finally get on track in his third season in Arizona, Brandon Pfaadt to take a step forward in his fourth MLB campaign, and Ryne Nelson to continue his solid work from last season.

Health is also a must, and there are already some injury concerns early in camp — Kelly is battling a bad back and Pfaadt has some side discomfort.  Burnes underwent Tommy John surgery last June and won’t be available until at least late July or early August.  Depth starter Blake Walston is out until May or June due to a TJ surgery of his own, and Cristian Mena is still dealing with the teres major strain that cost him a big chunk of the 2025 campaign.

Michael Soroka has his own checkered injury history, but he’ll provide depth as a swingman after joining the D’Backs on a one-year, $7.5MM contract.  A biceps strain and two shoulder strains limited Soroka to 169 1/3 innings over the last two seasons, but when healthy he delivered fairly okay numbers as both a starter and reliever with the White Sox, Nationals, and Cubs.  Soroka’s 4.06 SIERA outpaced his 4.62 ERA over the last two seasons, his strikeout rates were above average, and his walk rate was much improved in 2025 after he displayed very shaky control in 2024.

The rotation’s health status will be the biggest factor in Soroka’s role, and if he isn’t starting, some long relief innings would be a big help to the bullpen.  Like how the rotation is in some ways waiting on Burnes, the pen is missing two top high-leverage arms in Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk, who both underwent major arm surgeries last June.  Martinez had a Tommy John surgery and won’t be back until the second half, while Puk is projected to return this June after undergoing an internal brace procedure.

Reinforcing the relief corps was therefore a major goal of Arizona’s offseason, and if the team makes another prominent transaction before Opening Day, it would probably be a bullpen add.  As to the moves they’ve already made, the D’Backs didn’t invest much in new relievers, certainly not at the level that the Marlins spent on Fairbanks ($13MM) or the Reds on Johnson ($6.5MM).

Though Soroka’s salary could certainly be counted as spending on the bullpen, Paul Sewald and Taylor Clarke’s combined deals barely topped $3MM in guaranteed money.  Formerly the Diamondbacks’ closer in 2023 and early 2024, Sewald returns to Arizona looking to bounce back after a pair of injury-marred seasons.  Clarke is another former Diamondback who has been pretty inconsistent for much of his career, but he was good last season in posting a 3.25 ERA over 55 1/3 innings out of the Royals’ bullpen.

These signings could turn into big bargains if Clarke repeats his 2025 performance and Sewald can regain some of his past form.  The D’Backs are also hoping to strike on one of their flier-type acquisitions, like their waiver claim of Grant Holman (injured for most of 2025) or minor league deals with such pitchers as Jonathan Loaisiga or Derek Law.  Every team heads into Spring Training hoping to hit paydirt on a non-roster invite, but having a reliever emerge would be of particular import for the D’Backs considering their needs in the pen.

Arizona also added a reliever via trade, as Kade Strowd was brought aboard in the deal that sent utilityman Blaze Alexander to the Orioles.  Strowd is a 28-year-old righty who just made his MLB debut last season, and delivered a sparkling 1.71 ERA over 26 1/3 innings in his first taste of the majors.  His 4.02 SIERA reflects Strowd’s less-than-stellar peripherals and his .227 BABIP, but he is a controllable grounder specialist with minor league options remaining, making him an intriguing new face for the Diamondbacks’ relief mix.

Trading Alexander and Jake McCarthy represented a minor shake-up to the Diamondbacks’ collection of position players.  Tim Tawa is expected to take Alexander’s place as the top utility option, while McCarthy’s outfield role could be filled by Jorge Barrosa or (most interestingly) projected center fielder Jordan Lawlar.  With Arenado now at third base, Marte staying put, and Geraldo Perdomo locked into the shortstop role, Lawlar is moving from the infield to the new position of center field.

The position switch adds another degree of difficulty to Lawlar’s attempts to stick in the majors, as he is now playing the outfield for the first time in pro ball as well as still figuring out big league pitching (Lawlar has hit only .165/.241/.237 in the small sample size of 108 PA in the Show).  While some D’Backs fans may feel they’ve been waiting for Lawlar’s breakout forever, Lawlar is still only 23, and only now seems to be ticketed for regular playing time on Arizona’s active roster.

Depending on how the experiment pans out, Lawlar could end up playing more in left field than in center, with Alek Thomas moving into the middle outfield role.  Or, Thomas and Lawlar could form a lefty-righty platoon in center if Lawlar isn’t quite ready for a starting job, though this would leave left field to Tawa, Barrosa, or rookie Ryan Waldschmidt until Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is back from a torn ACL.  As optimistic as Gurriel is feeling about an early return, chances are he’ll still be out of action until at least June.  Corbin Carroll remains the anchor of stability within the unsettled outfield picture, but even Carroll’s availability for Opening Day has now been clouded by hamate surgery during Spring Training.

Utilityman Ildemaro Vargas has mostly bounced around the infield during his career, but he could also provide some outfield help as he returns on a minors contract for yet another stint with the D’Backs.  Also on the depth front, James McCann was re-signed as the backup catcher, and a spring calf injury to Adrian del Castillo clinched McCann’s spot as Gabriel Moreno‘s chief understudy.

Finally, one more prominent veteran was brought aboard in February when Carlos Santana inked a one-year, $2MM contract.  Santana and Pavin Smith are expected to share time at first base, though given Santana’s strong glovework, he might get more time in the field while Smith is used as a DH against right-handed pitching.  Santana is turning 40 in April and is entering his 17th MLB season, plus his offense took a sharp downturn to an 82 wRC+ over 474 PA with the Guardians and Cubs last year.

With Santana at first base and Arenado at third, the Diamondbacks should enjoy a defensive upgrade, which was one of Hazen’s offseason goals.  What Santana (or Arenado, for that matter) can still provide at the plate is an open question, though Santana may be limited to just part-time at-bats depending on how Arizona approaches the first base/DH situation.  Tyler Locklear is also expected to factor into the picture in May or June, when he returns from shoulder and elbow surgeries.

After all the offseason comings and goings, the Diamondbacks are projected (as per RosterResource) for an approximate $195.2MM payroll.  This is a touch above their $191.3MM payroll from 2025, running counter to Kendrick’s pre-offseason statements about a spending cut.  As Kendrick explained a few weeks ago, “I want our fans to feel that we are committed to investing every dollar possible and putting the best team we can put together on the field….We’re in a partnership with our fans. They generate revenue by buying tickets and coming to ball games and supporting us.  And as a good partner, we need to take the money they spend and invest it wisely, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

It feels like every team should operate under this basic premise, though that is hardly the case given how so many clubs operate under stricter payroll limits or refuse to spend at all.  As commendable as it is that the D’Backs are continuing to try and compete, the effort hasn’t been rewarded by a playoff berth in either of the last two seasons.  The Diamondbacks had enough belief in their core that they retained or re-signed a lot of it this winter, but the question is now whether or not they finally have the right roster composition to return to the postseason.