The Diamondbacks re-signed reliever John Curtiss to a minor league contract last week (link via Arizona Sports). The righty will presumably get a non-roster invitation to Spring Training.
Curtiss returns to the desert for a second season. He’d elected free agency when the D-Backs waived him at the beginning of the offseason. The 32-year-old spent the second half of the year on the MLB roster. Arizona selected his minor league contract at the end of June. Curtiss went on to toss 36 2/3 innings of 3.93 ERA ball. He picked up three holds and even secured a late-season save, his first in the big leagues since 2020.
That marked Curtiss’ heaviest MLB workload in four years. Although the results were solid enough, he only managed a 17% strikeout rate with a 9% swinging strike mark. His fastball sat in the 94 MPH range and he leaned on a low-90s cutter as his main secondary pitch.
Curtiss was miscast for some of the high-leverage spots in which the Diamondbacks were forced to use him late in the season. He has a decent path to winning a middle relief role if he pitches well during camp. A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez will be on the injured list. They’ve yet to make any MLB additions to a bullpen that needs at least two new leverage arms. They’ve brought in Isaiah Campbell and Junior Fernández on minor league deals this winter.
This signing is like 10 days old, you guys gotta lock in 😭😭
His name is actually Curtis but since it snakes it Curtissss
The firsst time around wassn’t great, but hopefully Curtiss can find hiss way back to the major leaguess with the D-Backss
Ssstop making fun of him. It’sss not niccce
The guy was effective, and stayed healthy. Unfortunately, his outs weren’t the type they preferred.
Guess Snakes settled for “slim Pickens”!
Seriously, Pickens is his middle name and at 6’5”, and 220 pounds, John is reasonably slim.
Last year, in 36 innings, he has a super low whip, a FIP of four, 24 Kate to just 5 walks. His problem was give home runs in those 36 innings, leaving him still a little better than average.
Hardly “slim Pickens” after all! And it’s not his first “rodeo” with the snakes either!
How about the “imminent signing” comment from Dan Bickley?? Sounds like the kinda rumour you should find on here.
azsnakepit.com/arizona-diamondbacks-rumors/87761/a…
Well, it looks like the D’Backs are going to go with they’re old standby “Bullpen by Committee” again, please tell me I am wrong. Not one signing of a closer, not one. Why? The front office keeps telling everyone that the Bullpen is a priority for 2026, but as of right now all I see is minor league hangar on’s signed given a tryout in ST. The D’Backs say they are listening to teams that call about Marte, ok, but they have no intention of trading him, that is why they keep on asking for the world, no team is going to give up two established starters plus a top 5 prospect for a 32yr old Marte, and as far as the others they want to trade the Thomas’s and McCarthy’s there is no takers on these two because they are throw in’s in any trade. So, I guess what you see is what you’re going to get for 2026.No bullpen limited starting pitching, Hope I am wrong but as the days countdown to ST it is starting to look like all talk and no action by the D’Backs this off season.
Minor league depth. That’s not something to be excited about.