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Diamondbacks Notes: Kendrick, Trades, Kelly, Locklear

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As per RosterResource’s estimates, the Diamondbacks spent around $191.3MM on payroll in 2025, which translated to a $214.8MM luxury tax number.  The Snakes are currently projected for a $195.2MM payroll and a $223.7MM tax figure, as team managing general partner Ken Kendrick’s statement from last September that his club “will not be spending at the same level” has ended up being incorrect.

Kendrick addressed this topic when speaking with the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro and other reporters at the Diamondbacks’ spring camp, saying simply that “well, sometimes you surprise yourself in life in what you do.”  The D’Backs are set for their third consecutive payroll increase since the team won the NL pennant in 2023, and while they haven’t since returned to the postseason, Kendrick remains intent on keeping the team in position to contend.

“I want us to be successful.  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….I don’t want to overplay it, but, to a degree, we’re in a partnership with the fans,” Kendrick said.  “That’s the way I see what we do.  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.”

The spending may not be over, since Kendrick said “we have some room beyond where we are, but we don’t have a ton of room….Do we have the possibility of adding from the present moment?  Yeah, possibly.  Not highly likely of significance, but we have some room to add without getting into a tax problem.”

The D’backs are still well shy of the $244MM luxury tax threshold, though their current $223.7MM figure is as close as the organization has ever been to exceeding the tax line.  While Kendrick has obviously okayed larger expenditures already, it is probably safe to assume that $244MM is Arizona’s budget ceiling, though the team has some room to maneuver in terms of trade deadline upgrades.

Expanding the payroll has reportedly put the D’Backs into the red, as Piecoro hears from sources that the club lost around $30MM in 2025.  It is always a source of conjecture about how much or little any MLB team (apart from the Braves, who are publicly owned) is really making given all of the accounting that goes into a club’s many revenues streams, yet even if the Diamondbacks did operate at a loss, it hasn’t stopped Kendrick from continuing to spend on a roster he believes is capable of big things.  Further spending to ensure a more competitive team may well be the most logical way of getting the team back into the black, as a winning product leads to higher attendance, higher TV ratings, and extra games in the form of playoff contests.

More moves could come before Opening Day, albeit on a lower spending scale.  John Gambadoro of 98.7 Arizona Sports writes that the D’Backs are looking to trade a prospect for a utilityman type of player.  This new addition would replace the recently-traded Blaze Alexander as a multi-position asset coming off the Diamondbacks’ bench.  While an exact match for Alexander may not be a priority, Alexander is a right-handed hitter who saw time as second base, third base, shortstop, left field, and center field over his two seasons in the desert.

Most of Arizona’s offseason spending was invested in two familiar faces.  Zac Gallen spent most of the winter on the free agent market after rejecting Arizona’s qualifying offer, but this past week returned to the fold on a one-year, $22.025MM deal that technically matches the value of the QO, though $14MM of the money is deferred.  After the D’Backs traded Merrill Kelly to the Rangers at the trade deadline, Kelly was brought back in December on a two-year deal worth $40MM in guaranteed money, with a vesting option covering the 2028 season.

Soon after Kelly re-signed, reports emerged that a team on the West Coast made Kelly a three-year offer worth over $50MM, and that the Padres were one of Kelly’s prime suitors.  Speaking with Piecoro and other media today, Kelly said the Padres had a three-year deal on the table, though he didn’t confirm the dollar figure.  Beyond whatever numbers were involved, Kelly said his decision was based in large part on his family.  It may well be that the Kelly clan simply preferred returning to the familiar routine of living and playing in Arizona, and Kelly himself said last summer amidst trade speculation that he would be open to re-signing with the Snakes in free agency.

Turning to an injury update, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Alex Weiner of 98.7 Arizona Sports) that first baseman Tyler Locklear isn’t expected back until sometime around mid-May or possibly early June.  Locklear underwent twin surgeries to fix both a labrum problem in his left shoulder and a ligament tear in his left elbow.  There was some hope Locklear would be ready to return to the Diamondbacks’ lineup at some point in April, though today’s news puts more of a specific timeline in place.

Locklear will definitely start the season on at least the 10-day injured list, and a move to the 60-day IL would occur if the D’Backs are certain Locklear won’t be ready by the end of May.  The team can continue to monitor his progress throughout Spring Training and in April with no penalty, as a shift to the 60-day IL would still keep Locklear’s placement date as Opening Day.

Over 47 games and 165 career plate appearances with the Mariners and Diamondbacks, Locklear has hit just .169/.255/.277 against Major League pitching.  His impressive minor league numbers hint at more potential, though once he does get healthy, Locklear’s potential spot as a platoon partner with Pavin Smith at first base has now been filled by Carlos Santana.  Since Arizona doesn’t have a set DH, there is room for Locklear to potentially earn some at-bats down the road, but for the next three months, his only priority is completing his rehab.

Diamondbacks Claim Grant Holman

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The Diamondbacks have claimed right-hander Grant Holman off waivers from the Athletics, per a team announcement. Holman was designated for assignment by the A’s last week to make room for Aaron Civale on the club’s 40-man roster. Southpaw A.J. Puk was placed on the 60-day injured list to make room for Holman on the 40-man roster.

Holman, 26 in May, was a sixth-round pick by the A’s back in 2021 and made his MLB debut in 2024. That first taste of MLB action went fairly well, as he pitched to a 4.00 ERA (100 ERA+) with a solid 3.87 FIP across 18 appearances, striking out 22.0% of his opponents despite an elevated 12.3% walk rate. It was a good debut overall and seemed to portend a larger role with the A’s in 2025, but things unfortunately did not work out that way. While he did make more appearances in 2025, they weren’t especially effective as he wound up posting a lackluster 5.09 ERA in 23 innings of work. His peripherals weren’t much better, as he posted a 4.66 FIP and his strikeout rate fell to 16.5%.

Perhaps he would’ve gotten more of a look at the big league level had injuries not gotten in the way, but rotator cuff tendinitis sidelined him for the majority of the 2025 campaign. He threw just 32 1/3 innings between the majors and minors in total, though his 9 1/3 scoreless frames at Triple-A with a 31.0% strikeout rate did suggest there could be some upside in Holmes’s profile if he can just stay healthy long enough to reach it. Regardless, the A’s had seen enough and cut him loose earlier this week as they beefed up their pitching staff with more veteran additions.

Still, Holman’s upside was intriguing enough for the Diamondbacks to the roll the dice on him. That’s an understandable decision to make for the club given their need for help in the bullpen this year with both Puk and Justin Martinez set to start the year on the injured list as they rehab from elbow surgeries. Puk will be back sooner than Martinez, having undergone UCL revision surgery rather than full Tommy John, but even he is expected back at some point in June at the earliest. That gives the Diamondbacks a few months where they’ll need to patch together a bullpen using veterans like Michael Soroka and Paul Sewald as well as youngsters like Kade Strowd and Andrew Hoffmann. Holman figures to be part of that latter group, and will compete for a role in the Opening Day bullpen for the club during Spring Training. Should he miss out on a roster spot to open the season, he’ll head to Triple-A and join players like Philip Abner and Juan Morillo in the mix for a call-up when injuries or roster churn necessitate it.

Diamondbacks Sign Zac Gallen

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The Diamondbacks have re-signed Zac Gallen on a one-year deal. The Boras Corporation client technically receives a $22.025MM guarantee that matches the value of the qualifying offer which he declined in November. However, a reported $14MM will be deferred via five $2.8MM installments paid between 2031-35. That means the D-Backs will only pay a little over $8MM, one-third of the contract, this year. Gallen’s luxury tax number is $18.7MM when factoring in the deferred money. Corbin Burnes was placed on the 60-day injured list as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery in order to make room for Gallen on the 40-man roster.

Gallen is coming off a down year that clearly sapped a lot of his appeal on the open market. He entered the season as a strong candidate to command upwards of $100MM once he hit free agency. Gallen stayed healthy and took all 33 turns through the rotation, but he had the worst rate stats of his career. He turned in a personal-high 4.83 earned run average with a career-worst 21.5% strikeout rate.

The season started especially poorly, as Gallen allowed at least five earned runs per nine innings in each of the first four months. He took a 5.40 ERA into the All-Star Break and had a 5.60 mark across 127 innings at the trade deadline. The D-Backs were aggressive sellers, moving Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suárez, Merrill Kelly and Shelby Miller. They didn’t find an offer they liked on Gallen more than the draft pick they’d collect if he signed elsewhere after rejecting the qualifying offer.

Arizona reportedly was concerned about overworking young pitchers down the stretch, so they got some benefit out of holding Gallen for the innings alone. He performed better after the deadline, tossing quality starts in eight of his last 11 outings. The 30-year-old turned in a 3.32 ERA over his final 65 innings. The Diamondbacks went 7-4 in those games, part of the reason they were able to hang in the Wild Card picture until the final weekend despite the July selloff.

While it was an encouraging last couple months, it wasn’t exactly a return to peak form. Gallen only struck out 20% of opponents during that stretch. He was helped a lot by a .232 average on balls in play. Gallen had struck out between 25-29% of opponents in each of his first five-plus MLB seasons. The swing-and-miss drop wasn’t quite so extreme on a per-pitch basis, but last year’s 9.5% swinging strike rate was the second-lowest mark of his career.

There weren’t any dramatic changes to Gallen’s raw stuff. His fastball averaged 93.5 mph, right in line with his career mark. That’s essentially league average for a right-handed starting pitcher. Opponents have had increasing success against Gallen’s heater over the past couple seasons. He managed decent results on his knuckle-curve and changeup, his top two secondary offerings. He sporadically mixed a cutter, slider and sinker — all of which were hit hard.

It remains to be seen if they’ll make any changes to his arsenal going into 2026. Gallen began to scale back his four-seam fastball usage in the final few months last season, largely in favor of more changeups. In any case, the team probably feels he deserved a little better than a near-5.00 ERA would suggest. Statcast’s “expected” ERA, which is based on his strikeout/walk profile and the batted balls he allows, landed at 4.28. His 4.24 SIERA was in a similar range. A positive regression toward those metrics would make him a league average starter.

This is an ideal outcome for the Diamondbacks. They were willing to pay an upfront $22.025MM salary to retain Gallen in November. His decision to decline the QO may very well have opened the payroll room to bring Kelly back on a two-year, $40MM free agent deal. Team personnel maintained throughout the offseason that they’d like to retain Gallen if they could make it work financially.

Owner Ken Kendrick raved about Gallen as far back as September. “He’s a special young man who spent nearly seven years as a D-Back. He definitely had an up-and-down season — performed better in the later part of the year, certainly, than earlier in the year. … He’s loved being a Diamondback,” Kendrick said at the time. “I don’t want to say it’s out of the touch of reality that we’d work out an arrangement to bring him back. He’s been a great D-Back. Last I recall, he was the guy who pitched seven or eight innings of no-hit ball in a World Series game for the Arizona Diamondbacks. … He’s the guy you want to root for.”

Just this week, manager Torey Lovullo said the clubhouse would “would welcome him with open arms, certainly” if they could get a deal done. Now that it has come to pass, he’ll slot alongside Kelly, Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt in the projected rotation. That could push free agent pickup Michael Soroka into a long relief role unless they decide to run a six-man rotation. They’re without a true ace until Corbin Burnes makes it back from Tommy John surgery; he’s aiming for some time around the All-Star Break. There’s far more stability than they had at the beginning of the winter, allowing them to take their time in deciding when to bring up prospects like Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake, both of whom they acquired from Texas in the Kelly trade.

Penciling in a $22.025MM salary for Gallen would bring Arizona’s payroll projection to roughly $194MM, as calculated by RosterResource. That’d technically be right in line with last year’s $195MM season-opening mark, which Kendrick said at the beginning of the winter that the team wouldn’t match. However, they’re reportedly only on the hook for around $8MM in salary payments this year, so the D-Backs didn’t need to dramatically stretch the budget after waiting out the offseason.

The Diamondbacks don’t forfeit any of their existing draft choices to re-sign their own qualified free agent. Any other team would have punted at least one draft choice and potentially international signing bonus pool space to sign him. They are indirectly losing a pick by forfeiting the right to compensation.

That selection would have come after the first round in 2026 if Gallen had signed elsewhere for at least $50MM. That seemed a distinct possibility early in the offseason but almost certainly wasn’t happening in the middle of February. It’s more likely that they’re passing on a compensation pick that would have landed 73rd or 74th overall, which they receive if he’d walked for less than $50MM. That’s not a huge cost compared to bringing back a potential mid-rotation starter on a favorable deal.

Although the team must be happy with the outcome, it’s undoubtedly not what Gallen envisioned for his first trip to free agency. Jon Heyman of The New York Post suggests he declined multi-year offers from other teams because he preferred to remain with the Diamondbacks. That doesn’t mean that the market didn’t materialize as hoped. MLBTR predicted a four-year, $80MM deal at the beginning of the offseason. It seems clear in retrospect that teams weren’t willing to go to those lengths given Gallen’s disappointing platform year.

Even if staying in Arizona was his first choice all along, he’s coming out quite a bit worse than if he’d accepted the qualifying offer. He’ll receive the same amount of money in the long run, but the true value of the deferred money is worth less than if he’d collected it all in 2026, as evidenced by the lower luxury tax number. That probably doesn’t mean much for the team — they would’ve been more than $20MM away from the CBT threshold in either case — but illustrates that there’s a significant gap between the QO and this contract.

Gallen did at least agree to terms within a couple days of camps opening. He’ll report to the team by the beginning of full squad workouts and should have plenty of time to be ready for Opening Day. One can imagine he didn’t want to wait until close to the regular season, as former teammate Jordan Montgomery did in 2024. Montgomery was very critical of how Boras had managed negotiations and switched agencies within two weeks of signing with the D-Backs. The lefty pitched poorly in ’24, then underwent Tommy John surgery last spring. He signed a $1.25MM deal with Texas this week and wound up making $48.75MM over three seasons from 2024-26.

There’s certainly a world where things work out well for Gallen in the long run. He’ll return to the open market at age 31 without being weighed down by draft compensation. A player can only receive the qualifying offer once in his career. A four- or five-year deal could be on the table if he rebounds to the form he showed in 2022-24: a 3.20 ERA and 26% strikeout rate over 93 starts. Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger, Pete Alonso and Matt Chapman are all Boras clients who found disappointing markets in one offseason and went on to much more lucrative contracts after bounce back performances.

Time will tell if Gallen can follow the same path. His immediate focus will be on trying to get Arizona to a playoff berth in an annually difficult NL West. Gallen was the last unsigned qualified free agent and arguably the last potential impact player available. Lucas Giolito, Max Scherzer, Zack Littell and Griffin Canning headline a dwindling free agent class.

Steve Gilbert of MLB.com first reported the D-Backs were nearing a deal with Gallen. Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reported it was a one-year contract. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported it was a $22.025MM guarantee with roughly $14MM in deferrals. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports added details on the deferral payouts. Rosenthal reported Gallen’s luxury tax number.

Image courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images.

NL West Injury Notes: Gurriel, Graterol, Stewart

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The initial recovery timeline following Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s torn ACL in September was nine to 10 months. The 32-year-old outfielder is determined to beat that estimate. “He said Opening Day to me yesterday when I saw him,” manager Torey Lovullo said, relayed by Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. “That’s how good he’s feeling.”

Lovullo acknowledged that Gurriel getting back for the start of the regular season isn’t happening. He didn’t give a firm timeline, but the veteran does appear to be progressing ahead of the initial timeline. Ronald Acuna Jr. was back from his ACL tear by May last season, but his injury occurred in May 2024. He’s also a few years younger than Gurriel.

Gurriel could’ve opted out of his three-year, $42MM contract this offseason, but unsurprisingly exercised his $13MM player option in November. He was unlikely to garner a better deal on the open market given the injury. Arizona has a $14MM option with a $5MM buyout on Gurriel for 2027.

The Diamondbacks acquired Gurriel and Gabriel Moreno from the Blue Jays for Daulton Varsho in December 2022. Gurriel had a strong season after coming over, socking a career-best 24 home runs and earning his lone All-Star selection. He re-upped with the club the following year. Gurriel’s wRC+ slipped below league average for the first time last season, though he still managed 19 home runs and 10 steals.

Gurriel has been Arizona’s primary left fielder the past two years, though that could change in 2026. John Gambadoro of 98.7FM Arizona Sports suggests Gurriel could split his time between DH and the outfield once he comes back. More DH time would allow the veteran to ease back in following major knee surgery. Arizona is currently looking at Jordan Lawlar and Jorge Barrosa as left field candidates, with Pavin Smith and Carlos Santana handling first base and DH.

Elsewhere around the division, the Dodgers offered updates on a pair of injured relievers. Right-hander Brusdar Graterol had shoulder surgery in November 2024 and missed the entire 2025 campaign. The plan is to “slow play” his build-up this spring, manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Jack Harris of The California Post. Graterol’s availability for Opening Day is unclear.

The 27-year-old Graterol has long been an intriguing member of L.A.’s bullpen. Injuries have hindered him for the majority of his tenure with the club. Graterol has been on the IL three separate times over the past four seasons with shoulder inflammation. The most recent trip ended with surgery. Graterol also missed time with elbow inflammation along the way.

The results have been excellent when Graterol is available. His 98 mph sinker has racked up ground balls at an impressive rate. Graterol’s strikeout numbers have been pedestrian, especially for a pitcher with top-tier velocity and a filthy slider, but he’s posted a 2.78 ERA across 188 career appearances.

Fellow righty Brock Stewart is recovering from shoulder problems of his own. The 34-year-old had offseason surgery that included shaving a bone spur, removing part of his collarbone, and taking out his bursa, relayed Harris. Stewart isn’t expecting to be ready for Opening Day, but plans to be available “for the majority of the season.”

Stewart debuted with the Dodgers in 2016 as a starter. He flopped in the role, ultimately reviving his career as a reliever. L.A. acquired him from the Twins straight up for outfielder James Outman at the 2025 trade deadline. He pitched in four games with the club before going down with the shoulder issue.

After three seasons away from the big leagues, Stewart put together a dominant comeback year in 2023. He posted a 0.65 ERA with a massive 35.8% strikeout rate over 28 appearances with the Twins. A solid first half this past season helped Stewart get dealt during Minnesota’s flurry of reliever trades at the deadline.

The Dodgers landed Edwin Diaz this offseason, but haven’t done much else to add to the bullpen. Evan Phillips is also back with the club as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. His procedure was in June, so he’s probably behind both Stewart and Graterol in terms of a return timeline.

Photo courtesy of Rob Schumacher, Imagn Images

Diamondbacks Sign Joe Ross, Oscar Mercado To Minor League Deals

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The Diamondbacks signed right-hander Joe Ross and outfielder Oscar Mercado to minor league contracts that contain invitations to Arizona’s big league spring camp.  The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal was the first to report Ross’ deal, while MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams had the Mercado signing.  Ross is a Wasserman client, and Mercado is represented by Excel Sports Management.

Ross signed a one-year, $4MM guarantee with the Phillies last offseason, in the aftermath of a 2024 campaign that saw Ross post some strong numbers (1.67 ERA over 27 innings) once he was moved from the Brewers’ rotation into a bullpen role.  After a Tommy John surgery prevented Ross from any big league action over the 2022-23 seasons, his 2024 numbers were a nice rebound, and a sign that relief pitching could potentially be the way forward in his career.

Unfortunately, things didn’t really work out for Ross in Philadelphia.  He posted a 5.12 ERA, 17.1% strikeout rate, and 7.9% walk rate over 51 innings (starting one of 37 appearances) for the Phils, and was tagged for eight home runs while allowing a lot of hard contact.  Philadelphia released Ross near the end of August and he caught on with the Cubs on a minors deal, but didn’t receive any looks on Chicago’s active roster, even when rosters expanded in September.

Mercado last played in the majors in 2023, when he appeared in 20 games with the Cardinals.  The outfielder had a strong rookie year with Cleveland in 2019, but has since batted .206/.262/.334 over 491 plate appearances since the start of the 2020 season.  St. Louis outrighted Mercado in July 2023 and he elected free agency, and he has since bounced around to the Dodgers, Tigers, and two stints apiece with the Padres and Phillies without getting any more time in the Show.

The D’Backs have a ton of pitchers in camp on non-roster deals, so Ross faces an uphill battle in winning a spot on Arizona’s Opening Day roster.  Though he worked almost exclusively in a relief role last year, Ross could be utilized again as a swingman, which might help his chances finding a niche with the Snakes.

Corbin Carroll will start the season on the injured list while recovering from hamate surgery, leaving the D’Backs thinner than expected in the outfield for at least the early stages of the 2026 campaign.  If other outfielders or multi-positional types (i.e. Tim Tawa, Ildemaro Vargas) on the depth chart have now been bumped up a slot with Carroll absent, Mercado’s signing adds more depth on at least the Triple-A level.  Mercado is best suited as a corner outfielder but he does have some experience in center field, so there could be some opportunity for Mercado to backup job if he has a big camp performance.

Diamondbacks Sign Paul Sewald

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TODAY: Arizona officially announced the Sewald signing, and Justin Martinez was placed on the 60-day injured list in the corresponding 40-man roster move.

FEBRUARY 12: The D-backs are bringing right-hander Paul Sewald back to Arizona on a one-year, $1.5MM contract, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. The agreement is pending a physical. Sewald is represented by ISE Baseball.

Sewald, who’ll be 36 in May, spent the second half of the 2023 season and all of the 2024 season in Arizona after coming over in a deadline trade that shipped outfielder Dominic Canzone, infielder Josh Rojas and infielder Ryan Bliss back to the Mariners. The veteran right-hander battled unusually shaky command but posted solid results down the stretch in ’23 before seeing his overall production take a step back in a 2024 season that was truncated by oblique and neck injuries.

After becoming a free agent following the 2024 campaign, Sewald signed a one-year, $7MM deal in Cleveland. He pitched only 15 1/3 innings for the Guardians, this time due to a shoulder strain. The Tigers picked him up in a small deadline deal despite the fact that he was on the injured list, and he pitched 4 1/3 innings for Detroit late in the year.

Sewald was a tenth-round pick by the Mets back in 2012 and had an unremarkable four-year stint in Queens, pitching to a 5.50 ERA in 147 1/3 innings. He was a minor league free agent gem for the Mariners, however, signing with Seattle ahead of the 2021 season and quickly emerging as a go-to reliever. In two-plus seasons as a Mariner, Sewald pitched 171 2/3 innings with a 2.88 ERA, 52 saves, 24 holds, an enormous 35% strikeout rate and a solid 8.1% walk rate.

We’re now a few years removed from that peak. Sewald’s average fastball sat at just 90.4 mph last season, down 2.1 mph from its peak, and he’s posted a 4.40 ERA over his past 59 1/3 MLB frames. That said, he’s still fanned more than one quarter of his opponents while posting a strong 6.5% walk rate in that time. His slider still grades out as at least an average pitch, if not slightly better, and it’s possible that improved health could add a bit more life back to his heater or bring some additional whiffs back on that breaking ball.

For an Arizona club in dire need of bullpen help, it’s hard to fault the addition of an experienced, generally successful reliever at less than two times the $780K league minimum. Sewald probably won’t return to peak levels, but he doesn’t need to in order to benefit this version of manager Torey Lovullo’s bullpen. The Snakes are without Martinez, A.J. Puk, and Andrew Saalfrank, all of whom will open the season on the injured list. Saalfrank won’t pitch at all this year. Puk is probably out until at least June. Martinez may not be back until late in the summer.

At the moment, the Diamondbacks’ bullpen includes Kevin Ginkel, Ryan Thompson, trade acquisition Kade Strowd and another bargain pickup in righty Taylor Clarke. There’s no shortage of candidates to compete for the final few spots. Brandyn Garcia, Drey Jameson, Philip Abner, Juan Morillo, Andrew Hoffmann and non-roster invitees Jonathan Loaisiga, John Curtiss and Shawn Dubin are among the candidates. Sewald will add some low-cost stability — a veteran reliever who even as his numbers have taken a step back in recent seasons has at least remained serviceable. If things don’t pan out, the Snakes can cut him and move on, but the Sewald reunion is a sensible one, given the team’s lack of bullpen certainty and minimal capacity to further add to the payroll.

D-backs Notes: Lawlar, Burnes, Bullpen, Santana

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The Diamondbacks’ acquisition of future Hall of Famer Nolan Arenado (alongside their decision not to trade Ketel Marte) pushed longtime top prospect Jordan Lawlar out of the club’s infield mix, at least on paper. That’s led to some questions about his role moving forward, but manager Torey Lovullo revealed to reporters (including Alex Weiner of AZ Sports) yesterday where the team hopes to play Lawlar going forward: center field. That would displace incumbent center fielder Alek Thomas, who Lovullo suggested would move around the outfield amid injuries to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Corbin Carroll.

Of course, that plan to play Lawlar in center field is predicated on him proving himself capable of handling the position this spring. He played three games in center during the Dominican Winter League this offseason, but otherwise has spent his entire professional career on the dirt. His 98th percentile sprint speed in 2025 certainly suggests he has the wheels to handle the position, offering plenty of reason for optimism, but that lack of experience calls into question how effectively he’ll be able to pick up the position on the fly. It wouldn’t be the first time a team converted an infield prospect to center over the course of one Spring Training, as the division rival Padres managed to do just that with Jackson Merrill two years ago. Merrill turned in one of the best defensive seasons in the entire sport as a rookie, and should offer some optimism about Lawlar’s ability to follow suit.

Perhaps the biggest question for Lawlar isn’t whether he’s physically capable of handling center field, but whether he’s capable of staying on the field long enough to prove it. Between Triple-A and the majors, Lawlar has just 113 games played over the past two seasons due to a variety of injuries. Last season, he missed multiple months with a hamstring strain, while a thumb injury cost him most of 2024. In between those injuries, he’s struggled in brief cameos at the big league level but has managed to continue raking at Triple-A, offering some reason for optimism that he’ll figure things out offensively if given consistent playing time. He’ll now get that playing time at the expense of Thomas, who was once a former top propsect himself but has never quite managed to hit well in the majors with a career 74 wRC+ that peaked at 81 last season. Thomas figures to join Jorge Barrosa, Tim Tawa, and perhaps non-roster invitees like Ildemaro Vargas and Ryan Waldschmidt in mixing and matching in the corners while Carroll and Gurriel are out of commission.

Turning to the pitching staff, ace right-hander Corbin Burnes missed much of his first season in Arizona due to Tommy John surgery but figures to contribute after completing his rehab at some point this year. Burnes himself spoke to reporters (video link via MLB.com) about his timeline for return yesterday, and suggested that he’s expecting to return around the All-Star break. Burnes added that he plans to “try and make it [back] sooner,” though considering he went under the knife in June that could be a tall ask given the procedure’s typical recovery timeline. Adding Burnes back to the rotation would obviously be a massive boost. The former Cy Young award winner had a 2.66 ERA in 11 starts last year (albeit with less impressive peripherals) and placed in the top ten in Cy Young voting in each of the past five seasons prior to his injured 2025 campaign.

Burnes will be working towards a return alongside the team’s two highest leverage relievers, Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk. It appears his projected timeline falls in the middle of the two relief arms, as described by the players themselves in comments made to AZ Sports. Martinez suggested that he’s anticipating a return in August of this year, though he acknowledged it “could be earlier, could be later” depending on how things go from here. He underwent Tommy John surgery in June, like Burnes did. Puk also went under the knife in June, but he underwent a less-invasive internal brace procedure. The southpaw told reporters he hopes to be back by the end of May, but acknowledged that isn’t necessarily realistic. Still, he expressed confidence that he’ll be back on the mound before the second half, which indicates he could be looking at a return to action at some point in June.

Adding Puk and Martinez back to the relief staff could be majorly impactful for the Diamondbacks given their difficulties in finding high leverage relief help this year. The team figures to run back more or less the same group of relievers they finished last year with, as non-roster invitee Jonathan Loaisiga figures to be the most impactful reliever added to the roster during the offseason. Loaisiga has struggled to stay healthy over the years, and while he has a career 3.54 ERA at the big league level he struggled last year with middling results and worrisome peripherals (including a 5.83 FIP) in 30 appearances for the Yankees.

While Burnes, Puk, and Martinez all figure to spend Spring Training rehabbing their injured elbows, first baseman Carlos Santana figures to be preparing for the World Baseball Classic. Santana was one of many players who was unable to secure insurance to play in the World Baseball Classic, but Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Diamondbacks decided to give Santana the green light to play in the tournament uninsured. He’ll represent the Dominican Republic alongside teammate Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo, and Hazen indicated that giving Santana the opportunity to bond with his new teammates over the shared experience of representing their home country was a factor in the team’s decision to assume the financial risk of the soon to be 40-year-old veteran getting injured. Santana is slated to make $2MM this year on his one-year deal with Arizona, and Rosenthal notes that, according to club GM Mike Hazen, Santana’s ability to be a clubhouse leader and guide other players on the team was a big part of why he was signed.

Corbin Carroll To Undergo Surgery For Hamate Fracture

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Diamondbacks star Corbin Carroll suffered a broken hamate bone in his right hand yesterday during batting practice, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports. He’s slated to undergo surgery today, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. That’ll sideline Carroll for the majority of camp and seems likely to land him on the injured list to begin the 2026 season.

It’s an awful note on which to start camp for the D-backs and their fans. Carroll, the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year, is already a two-time All-Star and finished sixth in National League MVP voting last season after hitting .259/.343/.541 with 31 home runs, 32 doubles, 17 triples, 32 stolen bases (in 38 tries), a 10.4% walk rate and a 23.8% strikeout rate in 642 trips to the plate. No player in baseball provided more baserunning value than Carroll in 2025, per FanGraphs’ BsR metric, and he was 39% better than average at the plate by measure of wRC+.

The Diamondbacks haven’t provided a formal timetable for Carroll’s recovery and presumably won’t do so until after his surgery. It’s a relatively common injury though — as both Jackson Holliday and Francisco Lindor can attest — and typically shelves hitters for anywhere from four to eight weeks. Hamate injuries (and hand injuries in general) have a tendency to linger and impact a hitter’s power output, but every injury situation is different. Arizona should provide more details in the days ahead.

With Carroll likely IL-bound, an already uncertain D-backs outfield mix now looks even murkier. Arizona traded Jake McCarthy to the Rockies on the heels of a couple disappointing seasons earlier in the winter. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. will open the season on the injured list as he continues rehabbing last season’s torn ACL. Top prospect Jordan Lawlar was already moving from the infield to the outfield this season but now seems certain to begin the season there. Center fielder Alek Thomas is a fine defender, but he’s four seasons into his MLB career now and his bat has yet to catch up to his former top prospect status. Infielder/outfielder Blaze Alexander was traded to the Orioles just last week.

Suffice it to say, outfield options on Arizona’s roster are thin, at best. Lawlar and Thomas are likely locked into starting roles by default. First baseman/designated hitter Pavin Smith has some experience in the outfield corners but has graded as a poor defender. The recent signing of Carlos Santana was originally intended to give the lefty-swinging Smith a strong platoon partner at first base, but Santana could play first base with Smith temporarily patrolling an outfield corner.

Outfielder Jorge Barrosa is on the 40-man roster and out of minor league options, but he’s a .148/.170/.239 hitter in 95 big league plate appearances with a league-average track record at the Triple-A level. Infielder/outfielder Tim Tawa belted 31 Triple-A homers in 2024 but hit just .201/.274/.347 in 205 MLB plate appearances this past season; he’s spent a lot more time in the infield during his pro career but does have 1519 innings of outfield experience.

If the D-backs feel particularly aggressive, they could fast-track Ryan Waldschmidt, the No. 31 overall pick in 2024, to the big leagues. The 23-year-old has yet to even suit up in Triple-A but torched opposing pitchers in both High-A and Double-A last season. In a combined 601 plate appearances (split evenly between the two levels), the University of Kentucky product slashed .289/.419/.473 with 18 homers, 27 doubles, four triples, 29 steals (39 attempts), a 16% walk rate and a 17.6% strikeout rate. Baseball America currently ranks Waldschmidt as the game’s No. 48 overall prospect.

It’s also possible, of course, that the D-backs look to bring in some outfield help from outside the organization. As stated, it was already a relatively thin mix — at least in terms of established options — so even scooping up a veteran on a minor league contract with a non-roster invitation to spring training might’ve been prudent. Mike Tauchman, Mark Canha and old friend Randal Grichuk are among the more notable unsigned names still lingering on the market. Spring training naturally brings up opportunities to scoop up other veterans as they opt out of minor league deals and/or less-experienced players who find themselves designated for assignment when other clubs make final additions. The D-backs could monitor both markets as they look to bring in some depth in light of Carroll’s injury.

Diamondbacks Sign Carlos Santana

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Feb. 10: The Diamondbacks officially announced the Santana deal on Tuesday afternoon. Left-hander Andrew Saalfrank was placed on the 60-day IL in a corresponding move. Saalfrank had shoulder surgery on Monday and is expected to miss the entire 2026 season.

Feb. 3: The Diamondbacks and free agent first baseman Carlos Santana are in agreement on a deal, according to various sources. It is reportedly a one-year, $2MM pact. The Snakes have a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move once Santana completes his physical and the deal becomes official.

Santana, 40 in April, made his major league debut back in 2010. While he’s never really been a star player, he has carved out a long career as a reliably strong contributor. He has always had strong strikeout and walk numbers while flashing a bit of pop with strong first base defense to boot. In over 9,000 career plate appearances, he has a 14.4% walk rate, 16.6% strikeout rate, .241/.352/.425 line and 114 wRC+. In almost 13,000 innings at first, he has racked up 48 Defensive Runs Saved and 45 Outs Above Average.

As one would expect, his production has declined as he has pushed closer to his 40th birthday. He still gets rave reviews for his glovework but his offense hasn’t been as robust in recent seasons. Dating back to the start of 2020, he has a combined line of .222/.321/.378 and a 96 wRC+. With the Guardians and Cubs in 2025, his 11% walk rate and 19.2% strikeout rate were still good numbers but down from his career levels. He slashed .219/.308/.325 on the year for a wRC+ of 82.

Despite the trend lines and the poor 2025 season, there are some reasons why Santana could be a good fit for the Arizona roster. A switch-hitter, he has always fared better against left-handed pitching. In 2025, he wasn’t great against pitchers of either handedness, with a .231/.318/.346 line and 89 wRC+ against southpaws. But as recently as 2024, he was able to put up a huge .286/.356/.578 line and 160 wRC+ in that split.

The Diamondbacks had Josh Naylor as their first baseman to begin 2025 but they traded him to the Mariners at the deadline. Coming into this offseason, they had Pavin Smith and Tyler Locklear atop the depth chart, but with question marks there.

Locklear, who came over from the Mariners in the Eugenio Suárez trade last summer, hasn’t yet found success against big league pitching. He also might not be ready for Opening Day this year. In a September game against the Red Sox, he was attempting to corral an errant throw from third baseman Jordan Lawlar when he made contact with batter-runner Connor Wong. He suffered a ligament tear in his elbow and a labrum injury in his shoulder and required surgery in October.

As for Smith, he has shown flashes of potential at times but with a heavy platoon split. A left-handed batter, he slashed .270/.348/.547 for a 140 wRC+ in 2024 but with most of that damage coming against righties. Last year, he had big splits again and also faded as the season went along, dealing with injuries in the second half. For the whole year, he hit .265/.361/.456 against righties but just .167/.375/.167 against lefties. He had a combined .261/.371/.446 line in the first half and .227/.261/.318 line in the second half. He spent time on the injured list due to an oblique strain and a quad strain and only played 87 games on the year.

Locklear hits from the right side, so a platoon with Smith is potentially a good arrangement at first. But Locklear is fairly unproven and also has the uncertain health status. Smith appears to be a good bat against righties but without an especially long track record of success. His first base defense also hasn’t received strong marks.

The Diamondbacks didn’t have a strict designated hitter in 2025, with various players rotating through that spot. It’s possible they could rotate Locklear, Smith and Santana based on various situations throughout the season. Santana provides stronger glovework than Smith and with better numbers against lefty pitchers. Locklear still has an option and could be sent to Triple-A but he could earn more playing time, with the DH spot allowing the club to spread some more at-bats around.

There’s also the financial component. Owner Ken Kendrick said in September that the payroll would likely be dialed back relative to 2025. General manager Mike Hazen has tried to downplay the payroll concerns but also recently implied that making a flashy bullpen signing would have closed the door to reuniting with Merrill Kelly.

With an uncertain first base situation and little money to spend, the Snakes were connected to right-handed-hitting first basemen who weren’t likely command high salaries. That included Santana but also Ty France and old friend Paul Goldschmidt. While a reunion with Goldy would have been fun, the Santana deal seems to make it far less likely, if not completely impossible.

Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported that the sides were close to a deal. Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that an agreement was in place. Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported that it would be a one-year deal. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reported the $2MM figure. Photos courtesy of David Richard, Katie Stratman, Imagn Images

D-backs’ Andrew Saalfrank Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Will Miss 2026 Season

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Diamondbacks left-hander Andrew Saalfrank underwent shoulder surgery this morning and will miss the entire 2026 season, reports Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. The team has not yet announced the injury or provided further details but should do so in the near future. Presumably, Saalfrank sustained an injury late in his offseason program. Whatever the case, his subtraction from the bullpen is a tough break for a D-backs club that was already facing plenty of questions about its relief corps and has been working to bring some arms into the fold.

Saalfrank, 28, pitched 29 big league innings this past season and notched a pristine 1.24 earned run average in that time. That mark seems ripe for regression, as it was propped up by a .217 average on balls in play and 87% strand rate — neither of which seemed sustainable. Saalfrank fanned only 16.8% of his opponents, although his 12.2% swinging-strike rate suggests there could be more punchouts in the tank.

The left-handed Saalfrank issued walks at a respectable 8.8% clip and induced grounders at a solid 44.7% rate. Even if another sub-2.00 ERA wasn’t going to be in the cards, he still looked the part of a viable middle reliever at least — though Arizona used him in plenty of high-leverage spots last year after losing Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk to season-ending elbow surgeries.

Saalfrank has pitched 40 1/3 innings in the majors across the past three seasons, working to a 1.79 ERA in that time despite worse-than-average strikeout and walk rates of 15.4% and 11.1%, respectively. He works primarily off a sinker that sits just over 89 mph and a curveball that sits just shy of 80 mph.

Saalfrank would likely have more big league innings under his belt were it not for a yearlong ban he received from June 2024 to June 2025, after the league found that he bet on major league games during his time as a prospect in the D-backs’ system from 2020-21. Saalfrank bet a total of $445 and did not place any bets on D-backs games specifically, but his actions still violated the league’s stated policies and resulted in a lengthy punishment.

With Saalfrank out for the season, the D-backs’ options late in games thin even further. They’ll hope for summer returns from Martinez and Puk, but they’re obvious 60-day IL candidates when camp formally opens. Arizona’s top options in the ’pen right now include Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel and trade acquisition Kade Strowd. They’ll be banking on some in-house arms stepping up and claiming key roles, but losing another arm that looked locked into a spot in manager Torey Lovullo’s bullpen could spur the front office to act with greater urgency to bring in another reliever of some note, whether via free agency or trade.

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