Poll: Who Will Win The NL West?
With Opening Day just around the corner, the offseason is more or less complete for MLB’s 30 clubs and teams. Until the playoffs begin, teams will be focused on a smaller goal: winning their division. In the run-up to the start of the season, we will be conducting a series of polls to gauge who MLBTR readers believe is the favorite in each division. The Blue Jays came out on top in the AL East, and the Tigers did the same in our poll on the AL Central. Yesterday, MLBTR readers overwhelmingly voted (66%) to predict the Mariners would win the AL West. Today, we’ll be moving on to the National League, starting with the NL West. All teams are listed in order of their 2025 regular season record:
Los Angeles Dodgers (93-69)
The Dodgers may have not even qualified for a playoff bye last year, but their dominant performance during the postseason quelled any doubt about the club being the class of the National League. Los Angeles did not rest on its laurels this offseason, adding two more superstars: outfielder Kyle Tucker and closer Edwin Diaz. That duo levels up a roster that already sports Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Mookie Betts among many other high-end players. As has become the norm, the Dodgers enter 2026 as the overwhelming favorite to win the division, although their aging and injury-prone core will surely start showing cracks at some point. Will this year be that year?
San Diego Padres (90-72)
On paper, the Padres might look to some as if they’re more likely to miss the playoffs entirely than overtake the Dodgers in the NL West. The silver living for San Diego, then, is that this was also true headed into the 2025 season. Despite that narrative, the Padres managed to spend much of the summer in a virtual tie with Los Angeles, and they were in sole possession of first place as late as August 23. This year, they’ll look to defy the odds once again with a patchwork rotation that offers little certainty outside of Nick Pivetta and a lineup that wasn’t substantially improved over the offseason. The biggest additions to San Diego relative to last year, in all likelihood, will be full seasons from star closer Mason Miller and veteran outfielder Ramon Laureano.
San Francisco Giants (81-81)
After a splashy trade for Rafael Devers last June, the Giants ended up selling at last year’s trade deadline. Their efforts to get back in the playoff hunt for 2026 this winter were more complementary than impactful. Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser join a rotation that lost Justin Verlander. The lineup added a glove-first outfielder in Harrison Bader and a bat-first infielder in Luis Arraez. Still, the team looks solid on paper. Those additions leave the San Francisco offense without many obvious holes, and the rotation sports one of the game’s best starters in Logan Webb plus a former Cy Young winner in Robbie Ray. Perhaps the biggest question facing the Giants this year is in the bullpen. San Francisco traded Tyler Rogers and Camilo Doval last July and lost Randy Rodriguez to Tommy John surgery in September. None have been replaced. That could leave the club bleeding runs in the late innings without big steps forward from players like Erik Miller and Jose Butto.
Arizona Diamondbacks (80-82)
Just about everything that could go wrong on the pitching side did so for the Diamondbacks last year. Zac Gallen had the worst season of his career. Corbin Burnes, Justin Martinez, and A.J. Puk all underwent elbow surgery. Brandon Pfaadt and Eduardo Rodriguez had seasons to forget. Their team is weaker on paper headed into 2026 than it was in 2025, as their big offseason additions were reunions with Gallen and Merrill Kelly, plus additions at the infield corners (Carlos Santana and Nolan Arenado) won’t match the offensive output of those positions’ previous occupants (Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez). Even so, Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll are legitimate superstars. Geraldo Perdomo might be one as well. If the team’s veteran pitchers can turn things around, perhaps the Diamondbacks could ride their strong offensive nucleus back into the postseason.
Colorado Rockies (43-119)
Following a 119-loss season in 2025, Colorado made some small moves under new front office boss Paul DePodesta but nothing that would truly move the needle. Jake McCarthy, Edouard Julien, Willi Castro, Michael Lorenzen, and Jose Quintana have certainly all had their fair share of success in the past, but each profiles as a complementary player at the best of times. Perhaps those moves working out plus steps forward from key pieces like Brenton Doyle and Ezequiel Tovar could help the Rockies avoid another 100-loss season, but a division title or Wild Card berth are both pipe dreams.
Who do MLBTR readers think will win the NL West? Have your say in the poll:
Who will win the NL West in 2026?
Phillies, Oscar Mercado Agree To Minor League Deal
The Phillies are bringing veteran outfielder Oscar Mercado, who spent the 2025 season with their Triple-A club, back on a new minor league deal, MLBTR has learned. Mercado was with the D-backs this spring but was released yesterday. He’s represented by Excel Sports Management.
Mercado had a solid season with the Phillies’ Triple-A club in Lehigh Valley last year, his age-30 campaign. In 115 games and 477 plate appearances, he slashed .249/.369/.373 with 11 homers, 40 steals and more walks (14.5%) than strikeouts (14.3%). After a .242/.265/.333 showing in 34 spring plate appearances with the D-backs, he’ll now re-up with the Phils and head back to Lehigh Valley to begin the season.
It’s only natural to see Philadelphia bring in some familiar outfield depth. They’re going with top prospect Justin Crawford in center field to begin the season. Touted as he is, the 22-year-old has never taken a major league plate appearance and hasn’t had an especially impactful spring, batting .250/.291/.346 in 55 turns at the plate. Johan Rojas, one fallback option for Crawford, will miss the first half of the season after receiving an 80-game PED suspension.
The Phillies had utilityman Dylan Moore in camp as a non-roster invitee and have since signed him to a major league deal. He has 105 career innings in center but has been more of a corner option when playing on the grass. Left fielder Brandon Marsh has plenty of center field experience but is considered a below-average defender there. Waiver claim Pedro León gives the Phillies another 40-man option in center field, though he has only 21 major league plate appearances and hit .241/.312/.422 in 22 Triple-A games last year. Injuries limited him to 25 games overall.
Mercado hasn’t played in the majors since 2023 and was never really able to follow up on a strong rookie showing in 2019, when he batted .269/.318/.443 with 15 homers and 15 steals in 115 games with Cleveland. In 491 MLB plate appearances since that time, he’s slashed .206/.262/.334. Mercado has a solid Triple-A track record though, and he’ll give the Phillies some speed and depth across all three outfield spots.
D-Backs To Select Ildemaro Vargas
The Diamondbacks informed infielder Ildemaro Vargas he’ll be on the Opening Day roster, manager Torey Lovullo tells Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. The Snakes reassigned fellow minor league signee Jacob Amaya to minor league camp yesterday.
Vargas finished last season on Arizona’s big league roster. The Snakes waived the switch-hitting utilityman at the beginning of the offseason, bringing him back on a minor league deal. Vargas is an organizational favorite as a depth infielder. This will be his seventh season logging some time with the Diamondbacks in the big leagues. They’ve been split among four separate stints dating back to 2017.
The 34-year-old Vargas batted .270/.292/.383 across 121 plate appearances a season ago. He had an excellent camp, hitting .378 with a pair of home runs and four doubles. That probably didn’t move the needle much for Arizona’s front office, as they’re not going to expect Vargas to morph into an offensive force at this stage of his career. He’s on the team for his defensive versatility and clubhouse presence. Arizona will run out an infield of Carlos Santana, Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo and Nolan Arenado on most days.
Arizona will need to open at least three spots on their 40-man roster on Wednesday. Jonathan Loáisiga and Joe Ross also went into camp on minor league deals and secured MLB roster spots. Cristian Mena, Blake Walston, Tyler Locklear and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. are all candidates to land on the 60-day injured list — particularly the pitchers. If the Snakes don’t want to rule at least three of them out through the end of May, they’d need to designate one or more players for assignment.
Additionally, Piecoro reports that the team is carrying Juan Morillo and Andrew Hoffman as the last two middle relievers in their Opening Day bullpen. Those players are already on the 40-man roster, so there aren’t any roster complications, but it interestingly leaves them without a lefty to begin the season.
Paul Sewald, Taylor Clarke, Ryan Thompson and Kevin Ginkel are also in an all right-handed bullpen, while southpaws Brandyn Garcia and Philip Abner begin the season in Triple-A. The D-Backs open in Los Angeles against a Dodger lineup that includes Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy.
T.J. McFarland Announces Retirement
After over a decade in the big leagues, T.J. McFarland is hanging up his spikes. The left-hander announced his retirement on Instagram today, thanking his wife, parents, family, friends, teammates and the clubs who employed him for all their support throughout his time as a professional ballplayer.
McFarland wraps up a career of more than a decade. A relative soft tosser by today’s standards, his velocity topped out in the low 90s and he didn’t strike many guys out. But he had great control and was one of the best arms in the league when it came to inducing ground balls. His earned run average wobbled from year to year, as ground balls are less reliable than strikeouts since they need to be hit towards fielders who can regularly convert them into outs. McFarland had three seasons with an ERA under 3.00 and five above 5.00, but he was generally effective on the whole.
His professional career began when he was a fourth-round pick of Cleveland in 2007, taken out of Amos Alonzo Stagg High School in Palos Hills, Illinois. He worked his way up the minor leagues as a starter. He was left unprotected in the 2012 Rule 5 draft. The Orioles took him and plugged him into their bullpen. He stuck on the roster all season long in 2013, throwing 74 2/3 innings over 38 appearances with a 4.22 ERA. His 17.5% strikeout rate was well shy of league average but he generated grounders on 57.8% of balls in play. He stuck with the Orioles in 2014 and dropped his ERA to 2.76 with fairly similar rate stats. But that ERA ticked up to 4.91 in 2015 and then 6.93 the year after.
He was released ahead of the 2017 season and landed with the Diamondbacks. His 5.33 ERA that year wasn’t especially impressive but he was back with the Snakes in 2018 and posted a flat 2.00 ERA over 72 innings. The seesaw nature of his career then flung him in the other direction, as he had a 4.82 ERA in 2019. That may have been related to the juiced balls in that season, as McFarland’s 17.1% home run to fly ball ratio was the highest of his career.
He was put on waivers after that campaign, getting claimed by the Athletics. He posted a 4.35 ERA for the A’s in that shortened season as the club won the American League West. He got to make his postseason debut, tossing two scoreless innings, though the A’s were knocked out by the Astros in the Division Series.
He became a free agent going into 2021. He was with the Nationals on a minor league deal for a while but then got back to the majors with the Cardinals. He gave them 38 2/3 innings with a 2.56 ERA. The Cards snagged a Wild Card spot, which meant a single-game playoff at that time.
Facing the Dodgers, the Cards would eventually fall with McFarland given the tough-luck loss. He was sent into a tied game in the bottom of the ninth. He got Albert Pujols and Steven Souza Jr. to line out then walked Cody Bellinger. Alex Reyes was brought in to face the right-handed Chris Taylor, who hit a walk-off home run. Since Bellinger was technically the winning run, the L went next to McFarland’s name in the boxscore.
Despite that bitter ending, the Cards clearly liked what McFarland gave them. They brought him back for 2022 via a $2.5MM deal, the largest of McFarland’s career. Unfortunately, he was dragged by one of his patented ERA swings. He was released in August with a 6.61 ERA and then re-signed with the Cards on a minor league deal. In 2023, he was mostly stuck in the minors, making just three appearances for the Mets midsummer.
Another bounceback came in 2024. He signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers but was traded to the A’s just before Opening Day and given a roster spot. He made 79 appearances for that club’s final season in Oakland with a 3.81 ERA. He re-signed with that club, a one-year deal worth $1.8MM, going into 2025. His ERA jumped up once more, getting to 6.89 that year, before he was released in July.
Overall, McFarland appeared in 460 major league games and logged 546 1/3 innings with a 4.18 ERA. His 13.7% strikeout rate was well below average but his 7.3% walk rate was quite good and his 61.7% ground ball rate was elite. Among pitchers with at least 500 innings pitched from 2013 to 2025, only Clay Holmes and Framber Valdez induced grounders at a higher rate than McFarland. He had a 26-20 record and earned one save and 68 holds. Baseball Reference pegs his career earnings a bit north of $12MM. We at MLB Trade Rumors salute McFarland on his fine career and wish him the best with whatever comes next.
Photos courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Jeff Curry, Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images
Diamondbacks To Add Jonathan Loaisiga, Joe Ross To Opening Day Roster
10:05PM: Right-hander Joe Ross is also making the team, as per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The Diamondbacks will have to create another 40-man roster spot before selecting Ross, who inked a minor league contract last month. The numbers haven’t been there for Ross this spring, but Piecoro writes that Ross’ ability to pitch multiple innings gave him an advantage in the bullpen competition.
10:47AM: The Diamondbacks are adding right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga to their Opening Day roster, according to a report from Jorge Castillo of ESPN. Arizona’s 40-man roster is full, so a corresponding move will be necessary to officially select Loaisiga’s contract.
Loaisiga, 31, is joining a new club for the first time after spending his first eight MLB seasons with the Yankees. Signed by the Giants out of Nicaragua back in 2013, Loaisiga made just 13 starts for San Francisco’s Dominican Summer League affiliate before suffering injuries that sidelined him for the next two years. He was released by the organization in 2015 and caught on with the Yankees ahead of the 2016 season, where he continued to climb the minor league ladder as a starter and actually began his MLB career in a swing role.
The right-hander didn’t convert to short relief full-time until 2021, but looked utterly dominant once he did. Loaisiga turned in a 2.17 ERA with a 2.58 FIP and 3.01 SIERA in 70 2/3 innings of work for the Yankees that year. He struck out a respectable 24.4% of his opponents while walking just 5.7% and generating ground balls at a 60.9% clip. That dominant showing was enough to push Loaisiga into New York’s high leverage mix, and headed into 2022 it was easy to dream on him as the next dominant Yankees reliever. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out that way. His 2022 campaign was a struggle and saw him post below league average results (4.13 ERA) with only slightly better peripheral numbers (3.57 FIP, 3.76 SIERA). In the three years since then, he’s managed just 50 total appearances at the big league level due to a laundry list of injuries.
Those 50 appearances work out to a combined 3.51 ERA that’s decent enough, but his grounder rate has dropped to 52.0%, his strikeout rate now sits at a concerning 15.2%, and the righty’s 5.13 FIP (4.09 SIERA) both suggest those solid run prevention numbers are the result more of good luck on batted balls and sequencing than his underlying performance. With so many health and performance related red flags, it wasn’t a shock that Loaisiga needed to take a minor league deal this offseason. The one he landed with the Diamondbacks figured to give him a strong shot to make the roster, however, as the majority of their late-inning mix is set to start the season on the injured list.
A solid showing this spring further sealed the deal, as Loaisiga posted a 3.86 ERA in seven outings with seven strikeouts against just two walks. That’ll be enough to earn him a spot in the Diamondbacks bullpen to open the year, and he should have every opportunity to earn a high leverage role. Paul Sewald, Ryan Thompson, and Kevin Ginkel are among the other arms who will be vying for late inning roles as the season begins, though both A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez are expected back in the mix at some point this year.
Merrill Kelly To Begin Season On Diamondbacks’ 15-Day IL
Back problems have limited Merrill Kelly to just two Spring Training outings, and thus it isn’t any surprise that Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo announced today that Kelly would start the season on the 15-day injured list. Lovullo told reporters (including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports) that the club’s starting five will consist of Zac Gallen, Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez, Michael Soroka, and Brandon Pfaadt while Kelly recovers.
Kelly’s injury issues surfaced about a month ago, and it was enough to immediately scuttle plans for Kelly to get the Opening Day start. The right-hander received some injections that helped ease the discomfort enough that there was hope that the IL could be avoided altogether, though Kelly didn’t get into any game action until March 13. Over two Cactus League starts, Kelly has been rocked for an 8.31 ERA in 4 1/3 innings, so it’s clear he isn’t quite ready for prime time.
The results themselves aren’t really a red flag, since Kelly is still in the relatively early stages of his ramp-up given how his normal routine was interrupted by his bad back. Assuming he is able to get through extended Spring Training as expected, Kelly may just miss the minimum amount of time on the injured list.
A right shoulder strain 2024 and a nerve impingement in 2020 were both notable injuries for the right-hander, but Kelly has by and large been pretty durable over his seven MLB seasons, including a 184-inning campaign with the D’Backs and Rangers in 2025. After being traded to Texas at the deadline, Kelly returned to Arizona on a two-year, $40MM deal with a vesting option for the 2028 campaign (which would be Kelly’s age-39 season).
Between Kelly’s return and Gallen also somewhat surprising re-signing with Arizona on a one-year deal after his free agent market failed to develop, Soroka is the only new face within a familiar Diamondbacks rotation mix. Corbin Burnes will be back at some point in the second half once he recovers from his Tommy John surgery, so if all goes well, the D’Backs might be dealing with a surplus of arms later in the season if everyone is pitching well. Soroka is the likeliest candidate to move to the bullpen once Kelly is activated from the IL.
Diamondbacks Sign Luis Urías To Minor League Deal
The Diamondbacks have signed infielder Luis Urías to a minor league deal, according to the Reno Aces, the club’s Triple-A affiliate. It’s unclear if the Wasserman client will report to major league or minor league camp.
Urías, 29 in June, was once a solid regular for the Brewers. He hit 39 home runs over the 2021 and 2022 seasons, producing a combined .244/.340/.426 line and 111 wRC+. He bounced around the dirt, making at least 49 starts at each of shortstop, second base and third base. FanGraphs credited him with 4.7 wins above replacement in that span.
Unfortunately, his production tailed off in 2023 and he’s been more of a role player in recent years. He has 616 plate appearances since the start of 2023 with a .213/.319/.337 line and 88 wRC+. He signed with the A’s last year and hit .230/.315/.338 for an 84 wRC+ in 96 games before being released in August. He spent the final few weeks of 2025 back with the Brewers on a minor league deal.
Arizona has Geraldo Perdomo at short, Ketel Marte at second and Nolan Arenado at third. They have Tim Tawa and Jose Fernandez also on the roster as potential bench infielders, though Fernandez has options and hasn’t yet played at the Triple-A level, so he’ll almost certainly start the season in the minors. Tawa has 74 big league games under his belt and could be on the major league bench but he also has options and could be sent to the farm.
The Snakes have Ildemaro Vargas and Jacob Amaya around as infielders with some major league experience who are signed to minor league deals. Urías will jump into that group and provide the Diamondbacks with some more non-roster veteran depth on the dirt.
Diamondbacks Notes: Moreno, Lawlar, Kelly, Burnes
The D-Backs scratched catcher Gabriel Moreno from tonight’s Spring Training matchup against the Royals, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports). The Gold Glover is dealing with forearm tightness and headed for imaging.
Lovullo largely downplayed the concern, noting that it’s only a slight issue for Moreno when he throws. It seems the MRI is precautionary, though it’s a situation the D-Backs will closely monitor. Moreno has had his share of injuries over the past few seasons. He missed time in 2023 with a left shoulder issue, had thumb and adductor strains in ’24, then missed two months last season when a foul tip broke his right index finger.
When healthy, Moreno is one of the better two-way catchers in MLB. He’s coming off a .285/.353/.433 showing at the plate. He’s an excellent all-around defender, a quality receiver with a plus arm who has thrown out 30% of basestealers in his career.
Non-roster invitee Aramis Garcia drew into tonight’s starting lineup. He’s slated to open the season in Triple-A but would probably break camp if Moreno’s forearm discomfort leads to an injured list stint. James McCann is currently set for the backup role and would then be the primary option behind the dish. Adrian Del Castillo, the only other catcher on the 40-man roster, hasn’t played this spring because of a left calf strain. He’ll open the season on the 10-day injured list.
Elsewhere in camp, Arizona’s outfield picture is coming into focus. Corbin Carroll returned to the lineup as a designated hitter on Wednesday. He’s a month removed from a hamate fracture in his right hand that required surgery. Carroll has maintained optimism that he’ll be ready for Opening Day and is trending in that direction. He still needs to clear the hurdle of getting back in the outfield but projects as the season-opening right fielder.
Jordan Lawlar has had an excellent camp as he tries to nail down the center field job. The former top prospect is hitting .323 with four homers across 37 plate appearances. Lawlar, who had never played the outfield prior to offseason work in the Dominican Winter League, has logged 66 innings over 10 center field starts this spring.
Lovullo spoke highly of the 23-year-old’s early work in center (link via Steve Gilbert of MLB.com). They’ll take the latter part of camp to move him around, as he’s also expected to get work some in the corner outfield. Lovullo added that the Snakes still view Lawlar as an emergency option at shortstop, but his infield defense was a major issue last year. The D-Backs acquired Nolan Arenado to join Geraldo Perdomo on the left side of the infield, meaning Lawlar is most valuable to the team as an outfielder.
The bat should ensure he’s on an Opening Day roster for the first time in his career, likely in center field. Alek Thomas will probably play left until Lourdes Gurriel Jr. recovers from last season’s ACL tear. Left field prospect Ryan Waldschmidt had an outside chance of breaking camp, but he’s hitting .257 with 11 strikeouts and only two walks across 37 plate appearances this spring. Waldschmidt figures to open the season at Triple-A Reno.
On the pitching side, Merrill Kelly is making his exhibition debut tonight. He’d been held up by back soreness early in camp. The injury scuttled plans for Kelly to make his first career Opening Day start, but it’s not a given that he’ll begin the season on the injured list. The Snakes could move him to the back of the rotation and hope he’s ready for even an abbreviated regular season debut during the first week of April. Zac Gallen has been tabbed for his fourth straight Opening Day start instead.
Corbin Burnes is the actual ace, though he’s still months away from a return to game action. The former Cy Young winner hit a notable milestone in his rehab from last June’s Tommy John surgery. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports that Burnes threw a 15-pitch bullpen session on Friday — his first mound work since the operation. The four-time All-Star was encouraged by the outing, noting that he ran his fastball up to 91 mph (higher than he’d anticipated for his first bullpen session) while commanding the ball as hoped.
NL West Notes: Carroll, Kelly, France, Song
Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll emerged from his live batting practice session unscathed on Friday as he works his way back from a broken hamate bone. The two-time All-Star told reporters, including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic, that he’s nearing a return to Spring Training action. Carroll added that he wants to get into 10 spring games.
Carroll is still less than a month removed from his February 11 surgery. He’d certainly be on the early end of the typical timeline to return from the procedure if he returns to the field soon. Manager Torey Lovullo pushed back a bit on Carroll’s outlook. “I respect Corbin’s drive and determination, that’s what makes him great. But in this case, the medical team is still in control of what’s going on,” Lovullo told reporters, including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports.
If Carroll does get into Spring Training games, his power stroke will be something to watch. Hamate bone injuries tend to impact slugging, particularly early on. Carroll popped a career-high 31 home runs this past season. He boosted his hard-hit rate to 49.9%, exactly 9% higher than his previous best. Carroll more than doubled his barrel rate year-over-year, jumping from 7.2% in 2024 to 14.5% last year.
Merrill Kelly continues to make progress after a back issue threatened to place him on the IL to begin the 2026 campaign. The right-hander was scratched from a live batting practice session in late February and told reporters he was unlikely to be ready for the opener. His tone changed last weekend following a cortisone and lidocaine injection. He was able to play catch without issue, and recently came out of a bullpen session free of setbacks. Kelly is set for a live batting practice session on Sunday, Lovullo told reporters (h/t to Weiner again).
The injury set Kelly back a couple of weeks, but he’s now on track to break camp with the team and avoid the injured list. If Arizona slots him at the back of the rotation, his turn wouldn’t come up until March 31 against the Tigers. An off-day on March 29 could allow the Diamondbacks to push Kelly back even further, if they desired. Michael Soroka could step in as the fifth starter to give Kelly extra time to get ready.
Elsewhere in the division, Ty France is making a push to break camp with the Padres, notes Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The veteran infielder hit three balls at least 105 mph in Saturday’s Spring Training matchup against the Guardians. One went for a double, pushing France’s OPS to .944 this spring. “He needs to keep swinging like he did today,” manager Craig Stammen said. “If you can hit, we’ll find a place for you.”
Stammen added that the veteran would get more opportunities at second and third base. France has made a total of three appearances at second base over the past four big-league seasons. He hasn’t played the hot corner since 2022. The added defensive versatility would give him a leg up for a roster spot on a squad with several first base/DH options.
San Diego’s outfield is set with Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill, and Ramon Laureano, which pushes Gavin Sheets to first base. That leaves France to battle with Miguel Andujar, Nick Castellanos, and Jose Miranda for DH and potentially platoon work with the lefty-swinging Sheets. For his part, Miranda has matched France for the team lead in hits this spring at nine.
There could be another bench spot up for grabs depending on Sung-Mun Song’s recovery from an oblique injury. The former KBO standout dealt with a right oblique issue in the offseason, but came to camp healthy. He then felt renewed tightness in the oblique during a spring game on Thursday and had to be removed. Acee relayed that the team has been encouraged by Song’s progress since then. “They’re going to try to get him moving around here today,” Stammen said. “We’ll see when (he starts) swinging a bat.”
The club is hopeful Song will get back into Spring Training games at some point. A Cactus League appearance would put him on track to be ready for Opening Day. Stammen added that the outfield experiment is paused for now.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
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.
How would you grade the Diamondbacks' offseason?
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C 45% (546)
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B 37% (451)
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D 11% (130)
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A 4% (54)
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F 4% (45)
Total votes: 1,226