Diamondbacks rookie Jordan Lawlar is playing winter ball in the Dominican Republic this offseason. He made his first appearance with the Tigres del Licey at an unfamiliar position: center field. It’s the first professional outfield experience for Lawlar, whose minor league and MLB work has been divided between second, third and shortstop.
Steve Gilbert of MLB.com wrote earlier this month that the D-Backs wanted Lawlar to get center field work alongside his usual infield responsibilities. The Diamondbacks haven’t made any decisions about a position change, but it behooves them to get a look at him in the outfield for a few reasons.
Lawlar’s defense was a significant issue late this year. The Diamondbacks finally opened everyday playing time for him at third base with the Eugenio Suárez deadline deal. Lawlar was on the minor league injured list for a couple weeks but was recalled at the end of August. His third base audition didn’t last long. Lawlar committed four errors in 76 innings, two apiece on September 7 and 14. Three of those were of the throwing variety. One of Lawlar’s errant throws led to a collision at first base that injured Tyler Locklear, who required surgeries on both his shoulder and elbow.
Scouting reports on Lawlar have generally praised his defensive ability. He was drafted as a shortstop and only moved to third base in deference to Geraldo Perdomo. It’s possible this year’s issues were a blip that’ll be corrected with a mechanical tweak or simply an offseason mental reset. The D-Backs didn’t want him in the field while they were chasing down a Wild Card berth, though. Manager Torey Lovullo kept Lawlar at DH or as a pinch-hitter after his game on September 14. Blaze Alexander played third base until the last game of the season — once the Snakes had been eliminated from contention.
The third base job should be open going into 2026. Alexander is a steady defender but doesn’t have huge upside at the plate. He’s better suited for a utility role. Lawlar, a career .298/.395/.515 hitter in the minors, has a higher ceiling. That wouldn’t matter much if the Diamondbacks don’t trust him defensively. They’re not going to lock him into full-time DH work at 23, but they probably wouldn’t feel great about handing him the starting third base job out of camp. He does still have an option remaining, yet they’re not going to learn much by sending him back to Triple-A Reno and letting him feast on Pacific Coast League pitching for another season.
John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM writes that the D-Backs aren’t inclined to play Lawlar at second base. Ketel Marte might benefit from a few more DH at-bats but remains the primary second baseman. The two outfield spots to the left of Corbin Carroll could be up for grabs.
Center fielder Alek Thomas is a .234/.277/.362 hitter in almost 1400 career plate appearances. The Diamondbacks will eventually need some kind of offense from that spot. Left field is in worse shape. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. tore his ACL in September. Jake McCarthy is coming off a .204/.247/.345 season. Prospect Ryan Waldschmidt may already be their best internal option, and he hasn’t played a game above Double-A.
McCarthy could be non-tendered, while Thomas is a potential change-of-scenery candidate. If Lawlar takes to center field in winter ball, that could allow the Diamondbacks to feel a little more comfortable entertaining Thomas trade talks. Lawlar himself could also be a trade chip, as he’d be their best bet at getting a controllable starting pitcher in return. The Diamondbacks are going to need at least one outfielder via free agency or trade either way, making this an interesting offseason storyline in the desert.
D-backs shouldn’t confuse him by making him go all over the place on the field, he has enough talent to get better at 3rd
I think of Royce Lewis and how bad his outfield experiment went
In my opinion, if they trade Alek they will get valuable pitcher(s). But should NOT TRADE LAWYLAR!!! He has high potential and could be like a smaller version of Alec Bregman during his prime. With Lawlar taking center preps, you know that the Diamondbacks are disappointed with something, most likely his defense in the past days. Taking center is a big jump, but he’s got the speed and ability to do so. Alek I believe will get traded with around 5 outfielder prospects coming up in the next years, for example, Slade Caldwell. With Alek being traded that could change the diamondbacks depth in their bullpen. This could change the history of bad bullpen. I think Alek will be sad to leave, but if he gets hot, he can potentially come back. Like how Kelly is coming back for sure(98%). We will miss you Alek, hope you don’t get traded! And go Lawlar in growing up to his prime!!
I don’t think you’re getting a lot back for Thomas. He’s shown to be a below average bat in the majors after a few seasons. Maybe a fringe roster guy/AAA lifer in return??
They like Blaze over there. Blaze played outstanding defense and his bat will come along. He was injured this year.
Carroll Thomas Lawlar
Bat Thomas 9th enjoy the defense
It is amazing how elite Perdomo has become and how questionable Lawlar’s future appears in contrast.
Perdomo had to have one of the most underrated seasons in recent baseball history. Could totally see him being a MVP finalist this year. He was only the 13th shortstop to have a 20/20 season and at least 7 WAR.