The Diamondbacks will have money to work with this winter, but don’t expect them to land a premium free agent. As Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes, the team intends to spread its free cash around to plug multiple holes.
Team CEO Derrick Hall wasn’t looking to play hide-and-seek with his payroll planning. He made clear the team expects to open with about as much on the books for 2020 as it had in the prior two campaigns. That leaves $30MM and change to spend toward the 2020 roster, per Piecoro’s tabulations, depending upon the opportunities available and any desire to keep a war chest handy for mid-season moves.
It’s “doubtful” the team will “put it all in on one big free agent,” Hall says. Rather, the intention is to “look at multiple guys.” So, the intention is to compete. At the same time, the organization won’t rule out trading from its MLB roster.
Flexibility is the name of the game for GM Mike Hazen. The Snakes feel they have it and are willing to utilize it … so long as it doesn’t handcuff them in the future. Even as the team explores possible deals involving southpaw Robbie Ray, who’ll be a free agent after the season, Hall says there’s a “surplus of talent” on the farm that could allow the organization to structure deals to improve the MLB product.
The possibilities are endless as the Winter Meetings approach. Click here to read our full preview of the Arizona offseason (which we published before reports emerged of Ray’s ongoing availability).
they should try and reunite with Wilmer Flores
I wonder what Tony Womack is up to these days
His son will probably be selected in next Yrs draft from Norfolk State. Aged yourself a bit
Time for Travis lee and Erubiel Durazo to come out of retirement
Can’t forget Junior Spivey
3 names I have not heard or thought about in years lol
One of the biggest snakes need is a closer. Does anyone know what Trevor Hoffman is up to these days?
Brock Holt, Tanner Roark, Martin Maldonado…
Honestly I haven’t really looked at what the D-Backs need other than OF help. But I feel like these 3 would fit regardless. Pitching staff is young, Roark rarely is injured. Maldy can help the young pitchers. Holt can play anywhere
They already signed Vogt to pair with Carson Kelly. I’d love to have Maldonado but there’s no spot for him on the roster right now
Ahhh you’re right about that. Never mind. I mean unless they want to use Vogt as a 1B/OF. Especially with the rosters expanding to 26. But yeah I forgot about Kelly/Vogt.
Again the Diamondbacks will cheap out and underspend relative to the size of the metro area… Again I will spend my baseball dollars on spring training (at other teams stadiums) and visiting other teams in other cities, but will not spend my dollars at Chase Field. When will they either learn or sell the team??
Metro size doesn’t always equate to market size for sports. Miami and Pittsburgh are large metro areas as well, but no one would mistake them for big market teams. Arizona should be smart with their money this offseason. They finally have some flexibility with Greinke off the books and it would be foolish for them to go out and sign another expensive player, digging themselves back into the same hole.
I’m not paying them to see a losing product when there is so much other baseball to see here in the region. Hard pass
The team has been better than .500 in all three seasons under Hazen. Making the playoffs once, just missing out in another, & had an epic collapse after leading the division heading into September in the third.
I would not consider Pittsburgh a large metro area.
Pittsburgh might have an NFL team, but hardly a metro unless you count all of those gas station towns nearby.
They signed Greinke a few years ago. There’s a handful, maybe two handful of teams that are cheaper than AZ. Be grateful
“they overpaid for an overhyped number two years ago so be grateful” um excuse me?? How should signing a player they don’t even have anymore affect whether I pay for their absolutely mediocre product this year? Let me give you a hint. It won’t.
Then don’t pay for their mediocrity. I could care less what you do with your money. But don’t complain about it. They weren’t being cheap when they signed Greinke. Doesn’t matter how he performed, the fact is they spent money.
With that comment I got to wonder do you even follow baseball. Ignorant statement at best. Halen is a great GM who is trying to overcome poor decisions made in the past. I would take the Dbacks organization over most
You wonder if I even follow baseball? Rather than responding to that I will educate you that it is ownership and not the general manager who sets the annual budget
The annual budget has been right in the middle of the pack under Hazen. Opening day 2019 (17th), 2018 (14th), & 2017 (23rd).
Stop crying the DBacks were in the hunt while being in the middle of a retool. Everyone acted like they didn’t get enough for Goldschmidt but ended up with a good young offensive catcher and a good young middle rotation starting pitcher. Hard to complain when you go out of your way to give your money to opposing teams.
avisail garcia would be perfect
Probably the best move they could make. A stopgap for the next two seasons till the combination of Varsho, Robinson, Thomas, & Fletcher start contributing in 2021 & beyond.
As a dbacks fan, its either ozone or Castellanos. For me its castellanos. That has jd written all over it. He will bat 315 with 38 hrs in that park. Then you have some money left for bullpen or another starter. Peralta will be back healthy. A lineup of
Marte
Escobar
Castellanos
Peralta
Walker
Rojas or another veteran
Ahmed
Kelly
Looks good. Remember they did great this year for what they had. Hazen is so smart.
Pass on the Boras client who will want a premium salary for 3-4 seasons. I could maybe tolerate his negative defense for 1-2 seasons, but years three & four would be an albatross at time when the prospects should be filling out the OF. positions
I expected this article to be about how the DBacks were going to spread money around over multiple offseasons.
go after relief pitching, thats all they really need to compete for a wild card
As you might expect from Hazen, an intelligent comment. None of the Big Three FAs (none of the big 10 actually) significantly alters the D-Backs course. BUT an improvement here and there, a little luck, and their natural propensity for getting the most out of their players, and VOILA!, a wild card team.
Sounds like Chad Tracy might be a good fit. They should see if he’s available.
Troy Glaus too!
Prediction: Dbacks trade for Oakland A’s CF Ramon Laureano, and sign Castellanos on a long term contract to play RF. That plugs their OF holes, so Marte can play 2b and stay healthy. Then trade with Jays for closer Ken Giles. Will trade Robbie Ray. And the prospects start arriving by mid-season to strengthen the team for the stretch run and into the Post-Season.
I am surprise the DBacks did not try to work a deal out with the Orioles for Jonathan Villar. He would have been a huge upgrade from Wilmer Flores.
I think Ketel Marte will play mostly 2b this year, to protect his health, so in house candidates for utility roles are probably preferred over pricier free agents.
Yuck @ having Castellanos in RF. A long term contract like that doesn’t fit the team. Starting in 2021, the team should start having contributions from their top OF prospects. Being saddled with Castellanos’ contract in years 3-4(2022-23) would not be a good move.
Crazy idea but we go all out and trade for betts and send a package with ray and 2 or 3 of our 3-9 prospects plus some
I think there is a Plan B reason the Dbacks kept Jake Lamb. If they trade Nick Ahmed, Ketel Marte could slide over to SS, E. Escobar would move to 2b and a Lamb/Mathiesen platon would cover 3b.
As much as I like Jake, he really isn’t a good fit for the team. Middle of the pack hitter and player I would trade him for an outfielder and middle relief. At some point they need to stop platooning their infielders. Hard to get a rhythm if you are constantly changing personnel
I thought Starling Marte would be a great trade target, would likely cost them Daulton Varsho. Allows them to keep Marte in the infield.
I actually think they keep Ray this offseason as his value has dipped, and they can easily play the wait and see game with him. If they’re in the race by the trade deadline, they keep him, if they’re not, you flip him to a desperate contender for prospects. Win-win-win.
The Dbacks could go after Starling Marte, but not at the cost of Daulton Varsho. Two years of Starling Marte will get the Dbacks to their OF prospects’ debuts, so Marte works. Trouble with including Varsho is that he will probably be up mid-season this year, and with the new 26-man rosters, would mean the Dbacks have 2 1/2 catchers, which is an ideally flexible roster composition. But you are right that these potential trades are going to cost high level prospects, and we can’t be so enamored with our prospects that they can’t be used to strengthen the ballclub. What good is a farm system that is essentially a trophy on the wall, “Look at us, we have the 5th best farm system in all of baseball!!! Aren’t we special!” The farm system can’t be stripped, it needs to be a major component of building home grown, affordable major leaguers. But it must also serve the dual purpose of obtaining necessary pieces via trade.