Dec. 22: The D-backs have now formally announced the signing.
Dec. 17: The Diamondbacks have agreed to a reunion with free agent outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on a three-year, $42MM contract. The deal (which becomes official once Gurriel passes a physical) contains a opt-out clause after the 2025 season, as well as a $14MM club option for the Diamondbacks for the 2027 campaign. Gurriel is represented by Magnus Sports.
The 30-year-old Gurriel played in Arizona in 2023 after he and catcher Gabriel Moreno were acquired from the Blue Jays in the trade that sent Daulton Varsho to Toronto. Gurriel got off to a hot start in his new locale, making his first career All-Star appearance thanks in large part to a blistering month of May (.352/.416/.714 in 101 plate appearances). That production proved to be something of an outlier for the outfielder, however, as he posted a sub-.700 OPS in each of April, June, and July that left him with an overall slash line of just .246/.294/.445 in 388 trips to the plate entering the month of August.
Gurriel managed to turn things back around down the stretch, however, finishing with a .261/.309/.463 slash line to show for 592 PA over the entire regular season. He also performed decently (93 wRC+) in 70 trips to the plate during Arizona’s postseason run, including a .333/.350/.500 slash line against the Rangers during the World Series.
Despite Gurriel’s uneven performance in 2023, he’s been a pretty solid bat throughout his career with an above-average wRC+ every year since he debuted in the majors back in 2018. Since becoming an everyday player during the shortened 2020 season, Gurriel has slashed .279/.326/.456 with a 112 wRC+. He also receives strong marks for his defense in left field, including a +14 Defensive Runs Saves with Arizona last season. While Gurriel managed just five homers in 121 games with the Blue Jays in 2022, he rediscovered his power stroke with the Diamondbacks last year, clubbing 24 home runs to go along with 35 doubles, both career-best figures.
If he can maintain that power output while bouncing back from a career-worst .282 BABIP last season, it’s possible Gurriel can unlock another level of offensive potential as he enters his thirties. The opt-out clause reflects this ceiling, as Gurriel could now re-enter the market heading into his age-32 season after what he hopes are a pair of very productive seasons in the desert.
Given the dearth of consistent offensive options available on the free agent market this offseason, it’s not a shock that Gurriel was able to land a healthy guarantee. The total guarantee of $42MM clocked in below the four-year, $54MM contract MLBTR projected for Gurriel when placing him 14th on our annual Top 50 MLB free agents list, though it’s worth noting that the average annual value of the deal is, by contrast, higher than we projected. While Gurriel is largely limited to left field defensively and has not yet posted truly impactful offensive numbers over a full season as an everyday player, his consistency and potential upside make him a worthwhile investment for an Arizona club that was looking to add to its outfield mix this offseason.
Looking ahead to 2024, Gurriel profiles as the club’s everyday left fielder where he’ll likely patrol the outfield alongside Alek Thomas and Corbin Carroll, with the likes of Jake McCarthy and Dominic Fletcher as depth options behind the starting trio. Gurriel is the only right-handed bat in that outfield mix and could help the club’s outfield produce against left-handers. Arizona struggled badly against left-handed pitching in 2023, though Gurriel slashed an impressive .301/.363/.452 against southpaws. Retaining Gurriel and adding another righty bat in third baseman Eugenio Suarez should help shore up the team’s performance against left-handers.
It has already been a busy offseason for the Diamondbacks, who inked left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez to a four-year deal earlier this month in addition to the aforementioned trade for Suarez. While Roster Resource projects the Gurriel contract to take the club’s 2024 payroll into uncharted territory with a $140MM figure, it appears that the club does not intend on slowing down from here. ESPN’s Jeff Passan suggests the club still plans on adding a power-hitting DH to their lineup before the offseason comes to a close, while USA Today’s Bob Nightengale specifically denotes the club’s interest in right-handed veterans J.D. Martinez and Justin Turner. Jorge Soler is another name the club has been connected to in recent weeks that could fill that role.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was the first to report the agreement between Gurriel and the Diamondbacks. ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel had the length of the deal and the financial terms, while MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand had the details on the opt-out clause and the club option.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Grats!
The Gusrdians were never in the runnong
Thots sew troe
Should have been.
Can we De-fur him of that purple hair?
“Offensive potential” for a 30 year old?
I am pretty sure we have seen all he has to offer
There is a possibility of a higher gear of offense, since Gurriel Jr. has had times where he’s hit for more average and times where he’s hit for more power (but for the most part his Ks have been low).
If he can manage to put it together to hit for average and power, that’s the offensive potential.
More than that, I would take year long consistency. OPS+ 189 in May, and then OPS+ 60 in June and OPS+ 25 in July, followed by 119, and 115 in August-September.
If he could be August-September all year, I would take that in a heartbeat.
Nice to see a “small” market team trying to compete.
Phoenix is the 5th largest US city.
I think that’s why he put small in quotation marks
Thats a little misleading…realize the city of phoenix covers over 500 sq miles…for example the city of philadelphia is 6th.with slightly less population than phoenix ..but in 1/5th the space…also the city of boston is way down the list with 1/3rd the pop of philly or phoenix but in 48 sq miles
…so yea 5th biggest city but lets not kid ourselves its a small “market” compared to many others in mlb
St. Louis is similar. Only 400,000 in the city proper but over 5 mil in the surrounding area!
@Poolhall: Why would it matter what the size of the city area-wise is? Those people are still there and there’s no other team within 250 miles. Phoenix is the #11 TV market in the country via Nielsen, right behind Boston, DC, and SF. If you include the metro area, there are nearly five million people. They’re mid- to large market.
If you reread what i wrote all i basically said was regardless of population they are considered small compared to many mlb markets
Market size generally refers to number of eyes on televisions, not square miles.
The larger the Square miles, the fewer additional eyes to view.
That is the problem San Diego is having right they having to go back to a level where they are considered a mid-tier team, they financially are not at LA level despite all the spending they have done in the past few years.
I thought we all earned something last year from Padres and Mets. It isn’t just “spending” that matters. it’s scouting correctly and spending on the right players that compliment your roster. It’s chemistry, it takes a little while to settle in (Texas Rangers), and it also takes some luck staying healthy. Spending doesn’t equal rings. In the last ten years, the Royals, Rays and Guardians have been to 4 WS, and the Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers have been to 4 WS.
First time i flew over phoenix was a surprise. It never ended.
Same with Cleveland. But that’s because no one in their right mind or with options would ever live within the city limits of those places.
Suburbs are fantastic tho
I think you are talking about density of the market? I’m not sure? But I know every owner is a billionaire and can afford to spend the $110 million they receive in revenue sharing on salaries, yet half the teams have a payroll under that number.
No thanks on the suburbs. I’m an expat living in Asia. I love subways and density. Everything I need is within a 15 minute walk.
The Rangers example is a tough sell, they’ve spent more than anyone
Say what ? None of those teams you mentioned have been to 4 WS in the last 10 years. (The word is complementing by the way.)
The largest city doesn’t always equate to biggest payroll. And, if you look at the data, it’s really the 9th “largest” city in terms of MLB teams. New York has 2 teams, L.A. has two teams, Chicago has 2 teams, and then you have Houston.
But Boston is smaller, yet a big market city.
The point I’m trying to make is that the size of the city doesn’t necessarily equate to the size of the market.
That doesn’t mean anything. They don’t have a fan base. It’s considered a transplant town. A lot of la people moved to Phoenix and southern az is shared with the padres
Lot of snowbirds in Arizona too. Canadians make up a good percentage of the snowbirds.
Yup, and the majority of which will never attend a regular season game, because they went back home where it is beautiful!!!
Yeah nobody sticks around in Phoenix during the summer when it’s 130 degrees in the asphalt jungle.
Phoenix is the 11th biggest television market in the US based on the number of cable and other television subscribers, which is why they are considered a smaller sports market.
Small revenue. Markets don’t matter see STL, etc
Yeah, depends on the fan base. A few years ago, during the play-offs 60% of the TVs in the St. Louis area we’re tuned into the game. Imagine!
Yes, the reigning NL champions are trying to compete.
Alright my 3rd correct guess! Lol
Lfg!!!!!!!!!!! Best thing they could’ve done
Liked him going to Boston. Zzzzzz
Boston’s Outfield is set for now. They’ve got 7 guys fighting for three spots Plus bench. Sox need pitching and pitching.
Gary, I’m expecting at least one more trade with possibly Duvall returning.
Dewey, hopefully you mean one more trade shipping out a young OF (Duran!!) and bringing in another Masher?
Perhaps Duvall could provide the middling Home Run pop that is so needed?
Duran most likely but Yoshida could go. He’s a hard sell after his defense was exposed and his salary. I do think he’ll be much improved and consistent at the plate.
And a second baseman, but pitching comes first.
Bellinger?
I think Bellinger wants big big dollars and he’s likely a big big risk from what everyone is saying.
They already have O’Neill to replace Duvall. Their offense is mostly set. They need starting pitching badly. They’re probably going to be a mess for a while regardless of how the rest of their off-season pans out, unfortunately.
Will be an even worse situation than the ohtani contract.
I like this for the Diamondbacks (assuming the contract is reasonable). He seemed to be a great addition for their club. Solid bat and his defense greatly improved last season from years past. That Varsho trade was a big W for Arizona.
An easy W.
Hùuuge W for Arizona. Im not a huge fan of WAR, but it is mildly decent for making comparisons.
Toronto arguably got the better all-around outfielder, by a slight margin, but then you throw in Moreno, at one of the most important positions in all of baseball, and the trade gets lopsided REAL quick!!
Not only did Toronto trade the wrong catcher, but they traded away a more consistent hitting OF’er as well.
Varsho has a WORLD of talent, but he doesn’t get on base and kills rallies. He plays excellent defense, but so do alot of other young guys, and especially in LF.
No matter how you look at it, unless Varsho can fix his approach and the hole in his swing, then Toronto just came out significantly behind in this trade.
They were right at their peak of being a championship contender too, and then they take a step back partly due to this trade. HUGE mistake by their GM, and a very costly one at that.
On the other hand, this trade almost single-handedly helped propel Arizona into a perennial contending team.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. signing a pretty cheap deal on top of it all only makes this trade look even worse.
Now, it is possible, even likely that both players from Arizona regress some, but they’ve already made themselves significantly more attractive to other players. This was a major coup for their GM.
Take WAR out and measuring OF against OF, Gurriel gets the nod. Gurriel has his faults but will compete in at bats. Varsho doesn’t. Swings out of his shoes and runs into a few. He’s lucky to have some bunt base hits to pad his garbage hitting stats. Also remains to be seen how good he will be in CF. Jays should be signing a RH bat in CF to spell Varsho.
With the talent Toronto had at C, Moreno would not have gotten the same opportunity there. Gurriel had played his way out with his 5 HRs. Plus they needed a lefty bat, and someone who could play CF as well as LF. Gurriel was basically a throw in. It did work out for AZ, but it was the drop in Guerrero’s production that hurt the team. Varsho is the likely CF in ’24. Not as lopsided as make it out.
Styme if you can read, follow along:
Moreno gets an opportunity either by trade or carrying 3 catchers as one is overweight and another is injury-prone. Jays carried 3 at many points the previous 2 season.
Gurriel had a wrist injury that cost him power and thus 5 home runs.
Jays needed a lefty bat. With Varsho they still need a lefty bat as Varsho has no bat. Hard to argue if he’s even better than Gurriel. Add Moreno and you have a trade beyond lopsided.
It’s_Hindsight again not understanding War or defensive value. Glad that Lourdes had a great contract year. 14 Mil is a little too rich for him.
Bulliterate you are the one that cannot explain or articulate WAR. I can. I know its value, its strengths and its obvious flaws. You do not.
You obviously have no idea about War as you keep on saying to disregard it. Ask someone for a clue. You don’t have one.
Yea at 14 per year its actually a good deal
I’m surprised he did not get more money? Thoughts?
I’m not a Dbag fan but I like the deal..
Glad to hear you are not a “dbag fan” 🙂
Agree with all the responses here to my original post. Richard, I think you summed up the trade quite well. That’s pretty much exactly how I feel about it also. Big misstep by Toronto.
I also felt that Gurriel would get a slightly larger deal, maybe something closer to 4 years/$60-65 million. So this seems like a pretty good deal for the Diamondbacks.
The Blue Jays got fleeced on that trade. Baseball trade values (website) thought the Dbacks got fleeced. This deal, like most deals that site evaluates, (Arraez for Lopez, Gallo, etc.) was the exact opposite of what their “expert model” said.
Remains to be seen. If Daulton Varsho is the starting CF for the Jays next year and improves his OBP and Power just a little he will be one of the most sought after outfielders in all of baseball, if not already. As of right now though W for Arizona.
Varsho will never be a good hitter. His swing has a massive hole
Varsho should play CF for his elite defense.
As of 5 years from now it’s a W for the DBacks by virtue of landing 2 players better than Varsho. The results are long over.
Yes Varsho will be fine. He got almost 4 bWar . He struggled offensively for sure but if that is his floor then he will have a great year this year in center.
Someone’s mad at the site because it nails more trades than them. If that site is wrong most of the time like you say you must never be right. Also create a website and a formula for every player in the league and I’ll start asking and recording each trade and we can evaluate your performance.
The BTV meatriding is crazy lmaooo
they don’t know you bro, stop riding them.
That site is saying Steven Matz for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Yimi Garcia and Chris Bassitt is a perfect trade.
taking that in a heartbeat
Yes…the Jays fans (what’s left of them) will agree that the D’backs won the trade by a country mile. The Jays front office says you can’t make that judgement for another 5 years.
i hate how BTV evaluates players, this just adds to the point.
What? He has one of the most consistent bats?
He’s very streaky but has been consistently solid with the bat since he debuted. His numbers have fluctuated a bit from year to year, but he has a career OPS of .791 and that seems to be a good bet for the type of production to expect from him over the next few years.
You can usually count on him getting hot once or twice a year for a few weeks which is great and then cold as ice for the rest of the year. I think he has adhd as he seams to not focus very well.
Our Lourdes and savior returns
Getting less than candy ?
Yeah I’m surprised by that too
$1M per season, $39M deferred over the next 39 years.
Your reporting is as trustworthy as DodgersNation.
M’s still competing for the top draft pick next year. Fewer and fewer bats on the market…
As frustrating as this offseason has been, M’s could sign no one and still not be competing for a top pick. They’re an ~80+ win team as constructed, just a highly flawed one.
They can sign Eddie Rosario….
New to the site, but agree with you. Fewer and fewer options for bats remain, and still plenty of big holes in the lineup to fill. Was really hoping we would get Lourdes.
I’m serious y’all should sign Eddie Rosario. The only thing different between him and kelenic is he’s older and doesn’t have the potential upside as kelenic. They are practically the same player. Bat left handed, strike out a ton, will probably hit 20 bombs and 60-75 rbis. A one year deal until y’all find a more suitable outfielder to run things in left for the foreseeable future. Makes since to me. He will practically be a one year version of kelenic and will fit in the lineup the same way he did. Plus it’ll be funny just to see the M’s and braves practically swap their respective left fielders. He won’t be expensive and the money you guys saved from aldo trading marco and Evan will help.hes not great, but as a bridge player he could come up clutch for you guys from time to time.
I like the idea of Rosario, however seems like Jerry’s hands are tied by Stanton’s penny pinching, and most likely they’ll hope Cade Marlowe will produce, thus saving John and company money…
With the Mariner’s limited funds, it would be hard to commit $42 million to a guy who’s ceiling is as an average corner outfielder. That being said, he’s lightyears better than what the M’s currently have.
Seems as if we will have to do less with Moore or run Haggerty out there and wonder if either will get a hit each day…
Bringing bats to Seattle is tricky. I think this guy would have been another bad fit
Agree bringing bats here seems challenging. I’m sure relieved the Ms have their coaching staff in place tho. Maybe one of them can play LF, RF, 3B, or 2B?
They are going to fill those holes in the lineup like it’s Christmas Eve. All the good stuff is gone, and you forgot that one person on your way to the party. So you stop at Walgreens and buy the cheapest thing and try to convince that person you really like it.
Back when I had hope, I wanted this guy for the Mariners.
Seems like a perfect fit.
This board is lame- no responses and better things to do, I’m out of here.
Dont let the door hit you on the way out
Yeah, really sorry to see you go!
Nooo,… please come back. We miss your witty banter and original Ohtani takes.
Dude just switch back to one of your old names, nobody will care.
Gammons, Rosenthal, Rome, Scully, Blum.
I agree it’s lame, but you leaving makes it slightly better
Reasonable deal; sanity returns to the market early?
Not bad, Hazen said he wanted to add a RH bat, and Gurriel is a known quantity for them. With Eduardo Rodriguez and Gurriel, Arizona pretty much took care of their biggest needs.
And Suarez
They could use one more solid starter, but they’ve done a nice job so far this offseason.
Great move! Would still like to sign JD Martinez, but don’t see that happening now. Maybe move McCarthy or Smith along with SS prospect Blaze Alexander for another starter or solid reliever.
The rotation looks good now. They should probably keep Alexander because there are still a lot of questions about the future of the SS position with Perdomo, Lawlar, and Alexander. Might as well keep their options open.
Agreed on the rotation, but if there were an addition to the rotation it would still be an impactful addition (since it would be pushing into the 5 spot). A Garver signing would be the most impactful possible addition in my opinion.
Also agreed on holding on to Alexander, but for a different reason. I don’t doubt that Lawlar could settle in as at least an average SS and do believe that long-term Perdomo winds up in an IF utility role, so I’ve thought they should start getting Blaze some reps in the OF for a couple years now.
Even if he only ever hits LHP at the MLB level, his arm strength is a definite fit in RF and you would expect an adequate defensive SS to be capable of fielding other positions well. I’d like to see him in a kind of Zobrist role, but I also have an inordinate amount of belief that he’ll make it to MLB and settle in.
I’m hearing there’s a 1 mil bonus if he gets rid of the purple hair
Hold on! ….I heard he was on a plane heading back to Toronto!
Lol
I’m not sure if Gurriel will ever be more than an average corner outfielder. Not sure if I want to commit $42 million for a guy like that but at least you’re fairly confident that he’ll be a steady producer.
He was considerably better than average last year, but it was a career year for him..
Even still, in the free agent market this is a solid deal for Arizona. Even if he slightly regressed, he should still be fairly average all-around with an above average bat.
At 14 oer year its worth it IMO. Sure hes not going to make mqny highlight reel grabs but his arm is a howizter
He’s a fan favorite in AZ. Heck, after last seasons run, they’re all fan favorites.
Great signing ! Dbacks making solid moves this offseason !
Wrist injury in 2022 zapped his power. Good contact hitter. Good contract for the DBacks. The trade with the Jays last year allowed them to reach the postseason.
Yeah, that trade seemingly has both franchises going in opposite directions.
Pretty crazy for only involving three players.
Don’t tell Jays fans – Varsho has great WAR. Unfortunately it did not translate into actual winning.
Man the jays got fleeced in this deal.
Jays got Kiermier when they moved Gurriel.
Like Lourdes, but didn’t miss him. Good contract for AZ.
Yes Kiermaier being overpaid (yet somehow lived up to the deal, kinda), soften the blow. Or, Jays got fleeced like JayRyder said.
Over pay? Kevin Took 3M less. Another Gold glove and most hits in the AL in the 9 spot.
Moreno stings a bit, but not Lourdes.
Jays back stop is set too in ‘24, as is CF.
no crying over spilled milk here.
Most hits in 9-spot. HAHAHAHAHA.
Jack Elliott had the most 9th inning doubles in the month of August.
Your comment wasn’t necessary. Kiermaier had NOTHING to do with the fact the Jays got fleeced in the trade. Kiermaier’s presence was irrelevant to the trade and yet you brought him up.
Look. The Jays we’re looking to move Lourdes. His spot and salary. He was a throw in for a reason. It allowed the flexibility to buy Kierimier. Jays were looking to cultivate a more serious attitude in dugout. Hence they moved Teoscar also. And brought in Mattingly so no more BS in dugout.
From a Jays perspective, we absolutely consider the minus of Lourdes and a plus of Kiermier a move we’d do in a heart beat.
Thank you AZ for taking Gurriel salary so we could get a more superior defender in Kevin.
Does it make sense to you now?
Jack Elliott is a World Series MVP!
Gurriel’s luxury hit was less than every guy you mentioned.
Secondly, you still don’t get it! Whether Gurriel was traded or not, Kiermaier had NOTHING to do with it. No Zona trade, Kiermaier is still a Blue Jay.
Third, Jays pitched amazing yet went backward in wins and improvement. I guess all the moves offensively did not work? Yea, it did not help.
So again, re-read what JayRyder said, and understand your reply was total nonsense and a complete waste of time. To reiterate, Kiermaier had nothing to do with Gurriel. Jays got fleeced and the record of the team proved it.
If they dont trade Loudes they have no room to play KK. It’s not difficult.
That’s total crap. Had they not traded Lourdes it’s him in LF, Kiermaier in CF, Springer in RF. The Teoscar trade was first. To say Kiermaier had no room is not true.
You only have a case that the Jays do not sign Belt.
Not with Varsho in the mix as well. I’m guessing they already knew the deal was coming when they signed KK. If they had not included Lourdes in the deal there would have been an odd man out.
Both Varsho and KK had a better WAR than Lourdes in 2023. It was the right move. Everyone want to blame the trade for them having a worse record than in 2023, but that was due to most of their holdovers having down years. Springer, Vlad, Chapman, and Kirk were noticeably worse than the previous season. The fact that they only won 2 less games despite that significant downgrade in production tells me Varsho and KK > Teo and Lourdes. I bet they don’t make the playoffs last year without that change.
Stop backtracking. Kiermaier had no effect on Lourdes.
As for WAR, you and others continue to cite WAR yet the Jays had less wins in 2023 than 2022. Why? Maybe, juuuuust maybe, WAR doesn’t paint a proper picture?
Make no mistake, Varsho and his bottom 10 OPS based on qualified players was a detriment to the Jays. Varsho only receives a certain number of plays in the outfield. He hurts you more at the plate. Way more. I would easily take Lourdes and kept Moreno with a trade involving Jansen over Varsho. But stop the incorrect argument with Kiermaier. He had zero to do with Varsho/Lourdes.
I love how you completely ignore the fact that multiple other players had worse years and try to pin the whole thing on Varsho. You try to say that WAR means nothing because they had a worse record, but ignore that multiple holdover players had worse WAR totals from the year before. That is where they lost the wins, not from Varsho.
Manoah did, and Berrios and Kikuchi improved big time. Gausman and Bassitt were better than Gausman/Stripling the year before. Generally speaking, 2023 bullpen was better than 2022. Especially better than 2021.
Vlad was down, Bo despite missing time was better in 2023. Chapman was better. Kiermaier had a good WAR. As did Varsho. People loved Belt. Catching down offensively but strong defensively. Seems more pluses than minus here and yet you love WAR so much!
I love how I actually named players and you gave nothing.
This makes my day!
suffer. Ditto for my day
Team is already much stronger this year compared to last year’s team that made it to the WS. But I’m thinking more is to come, if not this off-season, then at the trade deadline.
Definitely a better squad than last year. Suarez and ERod are really solid additions. Neither is super flashy, but they are significant improvements on what they had before.
I rarely say this, but this is actually kind of cheap!
Not a bad move by them.
I had him going to the Marlins.
Me too! Seemed like a good fit, and his brother had just played there.
He may have been seen on a plane in the Miami area….
You go, Gurriel!
Its crazy how much salaries have gone up this offseason. Gurriel is an about league average player and he is getting $14 million AAV and $42 million guaranteed.
Guys like Wacha and Martinez that are back of the rotation starters got $16 million AAV.
An unproven player from the KBO got 9 figures and $18 + million AAV.
At the top of the market is $70 million AAV, something I didn’t think we would see for a decade.
Uhh.. $46 million AAV
$70 million.
I wonder when half the commenters here will catch on and quit shouting “overpay!” while accepting the realities of baseball economics. All one needs to do is take a look at the Q.O. offer and how it escalates every season. Sure, some of us are getting priced out of attending games but many obv. have the disposable income to still afford it.
I don’t think any of them are necessarily an overpay. I just think that its crazy how much salaries for free agents have gone up in just one year. Just goes to show how much revenue the game is bringing in.
Ohtani’s new jersey broke sales records for the most sold within 48 hours of release. Fans clearly have the money to spend.
Shame Arizona doesn’t support its professional sports franchises
hOw MuCh Iz DeFeRrEd???!!
Arizona believes in high contact approach. Gurriel fits.
Had a feeling Dbacks were going after Gurriel after Hendricks’ comment that the Dbacks would have the largest payroll in team history.
Have a feeling there is more to come, but maybe I’m getting greedy now?
They were in the World Series, I guess they are allowed to have a busy off-season. Congrats to Snakes fans.
Gasp. A moderately priced, moderate length free agency signing of fair value in years and dollars?
That basically never happens anymore. Shocker.
The next biggest thing the Dbacks could do to dramatically improve their team is to sign Matsui to strengthen their bullpe.
A good signing by D’Backs, a real fan favorite. Really improved the OF defense, only question is his swinging at the first pitch to much.
Bringing JD Martinez back to the D’backs, really would make the starting 9 much stronger, won’t have to depend on Thomas bat as much just let him play center, and anything you get from his bat is icing.
4 moves the Dbacks could still make. Not saying they will do all 4, but these are the possibilities:
1). DH, power hitting right hander
2). Veteran 5th Starter
3). Bullpen arm, high leverage type
4). Backup catcher
Really turned into a fleece of a trade by the D Backs.
Could have been the RH bat the Twins need in their lineup….
Basically a two WAR player who inched up to three WAR in 2023. Just in time for his free agent contract. This doesn’t look like too much of an overpay, but Gurriel will probably go back to being his two WAR self now that he’s made his money.
Mariners will be under the table looking for scraps in a few weeks. JFC
They already are…. Sadly
Mariners actually have the players to plug in right now, so scraps aren’t necessary. Marlowe and Canzone in the outfield corners. And Dylan Moore as DH. Now doesn’t that sound groovy!! JerryBall is the new Moneyball.
I suppose if groovy in this case is a synonym for brtual then I’d be inclined to agree
The Royals and Snakes only teams with a pulse lately. Where are the Cubs, Red Sox, Twins, Mariners, Phillies, etc etc etc ? Oh yeah everyone broke as a joke.
There hasn’t been a dodgers post in a while, starting to get withdrawal symptoms….
I need an infusion of deferral jokes and outlandish Present Value of Money arguments as I am feeling lightheaded from withdrawal.
And some Yamamoto speculation to tide me over
Bellinger was seen on a plane around LAX….
Twins have an issue with Diamond. There will be no spending. Phillies are mostly spent. Will sign someone though. Suspect Seattle, Boston, and Chicago North waiting for the deals. Even a Boras client will take less in March.
Once he signs, can he and Moreno be traded back to the Jays for Varsho?
And today in unexciting news..
D for Dbacks. Excellent fit but top $.
Dude has awesome hair.
Main reason for being traded from the Jays… the company hair stylist spent too much time on Bo and him……no time for the rest of the team!
This is exactly how a young team coming off a successful season should behave.
Take note, Seattle.
A contract that could be afforded by every single major league team.
One that CAN be afforded, but the question is should it be. Gurriel is a mediocre player. Just a little above league average.
At this point I’d take mediocre over what Jerry / Stanton plan to field this coming season. We still have holes for LF, RF, 3B and 2B!!
Great contract for the D-Backs. If someone gives Bellinger $200 mil when they could’ve had the superior player in Guirriel for $42 mil they should be banned from baseball forever.
Congrats to Gurriel. Life changing money. Seems like an awful lot of money for a guy that has averaged 2.6 WAR over the last 3 seasons. I have been blown away with how much teams are spending on salaries this year.
Seems pretty reasonable for 2.6 WAR actually
Was thinking same. At least someone that has decent production and is still relatively young (yes I know he might really be 34) is not getting money in the upper stratosphere. Would really like to see a repeat of ‘23 next season with the NL West LA club going home with the D’backs advancing. While I am a fan and don’t want to see advancement due to injury on the other team I suspect one of the two combined 1B players will end up on the DL when it counts.
Thought he might end up in Kaycee. Lorde’s a big fan of the Royals, feeling not mutual apparently tho
like seeing teams like AZ get so competitive. would seem like JD of JT would be great bats in that lineup. not if they’re looking a 3/70 or something ridiculous. sure both will be looking for nice fat contracts after the years both had.
Dbacks team is complete for 2024 with this signing of Gurriel. They don’t “need” to spend more money, but they might.
They spend money smart and they trade prospects smart. They have 4 positions at which they could strengthen the team:
1). DH Power hitting RHH
2) Veteran SP 5th starter
3). High leverage bullpen arm
4). Backup C
They could go the Free Agent route this off-season or wait until the deadline to trade for any of these. Or they could trade now using prospect capital.
Garver is probably the most efficient addition. Addresses points 1 and 4. I don’t think they need a 5th starter tbh. Pfaadt is locked in as the 4 and the 5 spot can be an open competition between Henry, Nelson, Cecconi, Jarvis, and Walston. Maybe a couple of veteran starters can be added via minor league deals who wait in AAA in case of emergency.
The most likely moves the Dbacks might make moving forward are:
1). Sign Yuki Matsui for high leverage bullpen at 3 years/$18M
2). Sign Mitch Garver DH/C for 3 years/$15M
3). Sign Jacob Junis SP for 3 years/$39M
4). Trade for someone else to fill any of these positions.
5). Wait until the trade Deadline to see which positions need to be shored up for the stretch run.
#4….probably a trade with the Jays for Alek the pitcher who will have a bounce back career year….and give up a bag of balls….
Gurriel has agreed to defer all but $6 million of his contract, will be paid $36 million from 2027 to 2029. This is a joke, it’s not real, don’t take it personally.