- Former big league outfielder Peter Bourjos has moved into coaching, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that the Diamondbacks have hired the 34-year-old as a minor league outfield and baserunning coordinator. Bourjos appeared in parts of ten major league seasons as a player, suiting up for the Angels, Cardinals, Phillies, Rays and Braves between 2010-19. He has spent the past two years doing advance scouting work with the Rockies.
Diamondbacks Rumors
Joakim Soria Retires
Right-handed pitcher Joakim Soria is retiring, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, relaying word from Soria’s agent. The 37-year-old pitched for nine different teams over 14 MLB seasons.
Soria made his MLB debut for the Kansas City Royals back in 2007, throwing 69 innings with an ERA of 2.48 and notching 17 saves. He became a mainstay of the Royals’ bullpen through the 2011 campaign. In those five seasons, he pitched 315 1/3 innings with an ERA of 2.40 and racked up 160 saves. He was an All-Star twice, in 2008 and 2010.
That would prove to be the best stretch of Soria’s career, although he continued to be an effective reliever for another decade, pitching for the Rangers, Tigers and Pirates, returning to the Royals, and then stints with White Sox, Brewers and Athletics. In 2021, he started the season with the Diamondbacks and was later traded to the Blue Jays.
Over his entire career, he threw 763 innings with an ERA of 3.11, along with 831 strikeouts and 229 saves. MLBTR congratulates Soria on a fine career and wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.
Diamondbacks Targeting Bullpen, Third Base Help
On the heels of an NL-worst 52-110 showing, the Diamondbacks are generally expected to be in for a quiet winter. Last month, Arizona GM Mike Hazen frankly acknowledged that competing in a loaded division in 2022 looked unlikely, and he sounded slightly more open than he’d been in the past to considering trades that would send away marquee members of the roster.
Still, Hazen pushed back against the possibility of a full rebuild at that time, and assistant general manager Amiel Sawdaye took a similar stance yesterday when speaking with reporters (including Zach Buchanan of the Athletic). Asked about the possibility of moving high-caliber, controllable players like Ketel Marte, Zac Gallen and Carson Kelly, Sawdaye reiterated that the D-Backs hope to build around what he called “cornerstone-type players.” Just as Hazen has on a few occasions, Sawdaye said the Snakes would “never say never” on any possibility, but he also didn’t sound anxious to tear the roster to the studs.
“We go into every season with the idea that we want to put the best possible team out there that’s going to go out and compete,” Sawdaye said (via Buchanan). “I don’t think we ever wave the white flag and say, ‘Well, we’re going to give up on ’22.” Sawdaye instead suggested the D-Backs would look for external upgrades, pointing to the bullpen and third base as areas of need.
The Diamondbacks had plenty of issues this past season, but it’s arguable that the relief corps was the biggest culprit. Only the Orioles and Nationals had a worse bullpen ERA than Arizona’s 5.08, and D-Backs relievers ranked dead last in both SIERA (4.56) and strikeout/walk rate differential (9.7 percentage points). Since the end of the season, they’ve already picked up a pair of relief options (Zack Burdi and Edwin Uceta) off waivers, but it seems they’ll scour the free agent market for additional options. Sawdaye didn’t suggest the D-Backs would play for top-of-the-market arms like Raisel Iglesias or Kendall Graveman, but the front office has plenty of lower-cost candidates to choose from. The Snakes can add at least add some veteran stability to the middle innings, since they’re only returning one reliever (Sean Poppen) who worked at least ten innings with a sub-4.00 SIERA in 2021.
On the position player side, Sawdaye called third base “the clearest need on our infield.” Eduardo Escobar and Asdrúbal Cabrera soaked up the bulk of the innings there this year, but both players were moved to contenders before the end of the season. The D-Backs could theoretically make another run at either player now that they’re free agents, but Escobar seems likely to price himself out of their market and Cabrera didn’t play particularly well. Beyond Kris Bryant and Kyle Seager, the free agent market offers mostly utility types at the hot corner.
Interestingly, Sawdaye suggested the D-Backs could try to pick up a controllable third base option via trade. Even if Arizona doesn’t wind up trading long-term assets, they could move someone like starter Merrill Kelly, who’ll make just $5.25MM in his final year of team control. Perhaps a Kelly deal could bring back a controllable infielder, and Sawdaye also floated the possibility of a “prospect-for-prospect-type deal” eventually coming together. The D-Backs themselves were part of perhaps the most notable trade of that kind in recent memory, when they picked up Gallen from the Marlins for Jazz Chisholm Jr. at the 2019 trade deadline.
There seems to be a bit of room on the books for the front office to make some upgrades, even if none of Sawdaye’s comments portend a pursuit at the top of the market. Jason Martinez of Roster Resource projects the D-Backs’ 2022 commitments around $80MM at the moment, and non-tenders of players like Christian Walker, Noé Ramirez and Caleb Smith could knock a few million dollars off that mark. Arizona entered the 2021 campaign with a payroll just shy of $96MM, in the estimation of Cot’s Baseball Contracts. If owner Ken Kendrick is willing to spend at that level again, then Arizona could be more active than one might expect in augmenting the roster around the margins.
Diamondbacks Select Jose Herrera
The D-Backs announced this afternoon they’ve selected catcher Jose Herrera to the 40-man roster. The move keeps him from qualifying for minor league free agency. Arizona’s 40-man is now full.
Herrera, 24, has been in the Diamondback organization for his entire career. The Snakes signed him as an amateur out of Venezuela during the 2013-14 international period, and he’s slowly progressed up the minor league ladder. Herrera reached the high minors for the first time in 2021, splitting the campaign between Double-A Amarillo and Triple-A Reno. Over 360 cumulative plate appearances, the switch-hitting backstop posted a .258/.364/.422 line with eleven homers, drawing walks at a robust 14.2% clip.
That solid showing impressed the D-Backs front office enough they decided not to risk losing Herrera in free agency. He joins Carson Kelly and Daulton Varsho as catchers on the Arizona roster.
D-backs Decline Option On Tyler Clippard
6:19 pm: Arizona confirmed (Twitter link) that they declined their end of Clippard’s mutual option for the 2022 season.
11:34 am: Diamondbacks right-hander Tyler Clippard has been formally declared a free agent, per an announcement from the MLBPA. Clippard’s contract with Arizona had a $3.5MM mutual option for the 2022 season that came with a $500K buyout.
D-backs general manager Mike Hazen told the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro yesterday that he could not yet say whether Clippard’s option would be picked up or bought out. It’s not immediately clear which side declined the option — Clippard had the right to decline before the D-backs made their intent known — but the result is the same: Clippard will receive that $500K buyout and return to the free-agent market in search of a new opportunity.
Clippard, 37 in February, is a perennially effective and perennially underrated reliever who’ll now likely look to sign what would be a fifth consecutive one-year deal. The veteran changeup specialist signed a one-year pact in Arizona last year, suffered a shoulder strain during Spring Training, and spent nearly four months on the injured list. However, when healthy, Clippard had another generally productive run. In 25 1/3 innings, he yielded a solid 3.20 ERA with just three home runs allowed.
That said, Clippard’s 2021 season wasn’t without its red flags — even beyond the injury. This year’s 18.9% strikeout rate was his lowest since 2008, while his 9.9% walk rate was his highest since 2017. Clippard has never been a flamethrower, but his 89.1 mph average fastball this season was also a career-low and ranked as the 16th-lowest mark among 344 relievers with at least 20 innings pitched.
It should also be pointed out that while Clippard and that signature changeup have historically dominated opposing left-handed batters, that was far from the case in 2021. Rather, Clippard was clubbed for a .279/.354/.581 line by opposing lefties. Clippard’s dominance over lefties and similarly (and more expected) sharp results against right-handers has long been one of his most desirable assets, so this year’s struggles in that regard could further dampen his market.
Diamondbacks To Exercise Option On Merrill Kelly, Decline Option On Kole Calhoun
Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen provided details on two of the team’s three option decisions, as Hazen told The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro that the D’Backs will exercise their $5.25MM club option on righty Merrill Kelly and decline their $9MM club option on outfielder Kole Calhoun. The fate of Tyler Clippard’s $3.5MM mutual option (with a $500K buyout) is still undecided, Hazen said.
There wasn’t much suspense in either decision, as Kelly had a pretty solid year in his return from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. Kelly posted a 4.44 ERA over 158 innings, delivering his usual quality walk rate to help offset a lot of hard contact and a below-average strikeout rate. The Diamondbacks are hoping Kelly can match or better this performance in 2022 as the team looks for more stability in the rotation.
Next season will be the final year of Arizona’s control over Kelly, as per the two-year, $5.5MM contract with two club options that he signed back in December 2018. With this final option year now exercised, the deal will work out to a four-year, $14.5MM pact.
Calhoun signed a two-year, $16MM free agent to join his hometown D’Backs during the 2019-20 offseason, and hit .226/.338/.526 with 16 home runs over 228 plate appearances in the shortened 2020 season. That solid performance was followed up by an injury-plagued 2021, as Calhoun underwent a knee surgery in Spring Training and then a left hamstring surgery less than two months later. His rehab from that second procedure was extended by a setback, and Calhoun also spent another month on the IL with a strain in that same left hamstring late in the year.
All told, Calhoun appeared in only 51 games and hit .235/.297/.373 over 182 PA. Calhoun might have been a trade chip had he been healthy, either back in July at the trade deadline or perhaps this winter, if he’d hit well enough for the Diamondbacks to exercise that club option. Instead, the D’Backs will buy out that $9MM option for $2MM and Calhoun will hit the market in advance of his age-34 season.
A return to Arizona could be unlikely, as while Hazen praised Calhoun for being “awesome for us in and out of the clubhouse,” the D’Backs already have quite a few left-handed outfield options. Calhoun hit both left-handed and right-handed pitching pretty evenly for a lot of his career, but over the last three seasons has developed more traditional splits. It seems likely that Calhoun will catch on with another team in need of some veteran pop from the left side of the plate, and Calhoun’s right field glovework has remained pretty good, even amidst all his leg injuries in 2021.
Diamondbacks Hire Jeff Banister As Bench Coach
The D-Backs announced they’ve hired Jeff Banister as bench coach. It’s the Snakes’ second key coaching addition in as many weeks, as Arizona recently hired Joe Mather as hitting coach.
Banister picked up one big league plate appearance with the 1991 Pirates, but he’s far better known for his post-playing accomplishments. He received his first professional managerial job at age 30, spending 1994-98 managing at the lower levels of the Pittsburgh farm system. Banister moved into a broader organizational role in 1998 and spent the next decade-plus as a major and minor league field coordinator before landing his first job on a big league staff as Clint Hurdle’s bench coach in 2010.
Over the next few seasons, Banister was frequently mentioned as a strong managerial candidate. That opportunity presented itself after the 2014 campaign, when the Rangers tabbed Banister to succeed Ron Washington. Texas was very successful over his first couple seasons, winning the AL West in both 2015 and 2016. Banister was rewarded with an AL Manager of the Year selection in his first year at the helm, but the success proved short-lived. The Rangers finished below .500 in both 2017 and 2018, and the club dismissed him towards the end of that latter season. All told, Texas went 325-313 (.509 winning percentage) in just under four years with Banister managing.
After spending a couple seasons back in the Pirates’ front office, Banister spent this past year as director of player development for the University of Northern Colorado. After one season in Greeley, he’ll return to a big league staff for the first time since being dismissed by the Rangers. The 57-year-old will be the top lieutenant for D-Backs’ skipper Torey Lovullo, who’s entering his sixth season leading the Arizona clubhouse.
Diamondbacks Hire Joe Mather As Hitting Coach
The Diamondbacks have filled a key spot on Torey Lovullo’s staff, announcing the hiring of Joe Mather as hitting coach. The 39-year-old has spent the past two seasons as the assistant hitting coach of the Reds.
A former outfielder, Mather appeared in 229 MLB games between 2008-12. He played in the minors and independent ball through 2014 before transitioning into coaching. Mather’s first instructional work began with the D-Backs, as he coached and managed in Arizona’s minor league system up through 2019 before joining David Bell’s staff in Cincinnati.
Mather’s past stint with the D-Backs makes him a known commodity for Lovullo and the Snakes’ front office, as well as a handful of players now on the big league roster. He’ll be tasked with trying to coax improvements out of a D-Backs lineup that figures to incorporate plenty of younger players on the heels of an NL-worst 52-110 season.
Lovullo is returning for his sixth season leading the Arizona dugout, but much of his coaching staff remains unsettled. The D-Backs are still in the process of finding a new bench coach and pitching coach to replace Luis Urueta and Matt Herges, respectively.
Diamondbacks Claim Edwin Uceta
The Diamondbacks have claimed right-hander Edwin Uceta off waivers from the division-rival Dodgers. While neither club has formally announced the move just yet, the claim is noted on the transaction log at MLB.com, and Uceta himself thanked the Dodgers org and expressed gratitude to the D-backs in an Instagram post last night. Uceta was designated for assignment by the Dodgers during the NLCS, when L.A. needed to create a roster spot for infielder Andy Burns in the wake of Justin Turner’s injury.
The 23-year-old Uceta made his big league debut with the Dodgers in 2021 but pitched just 20 1/3 frames throughout multiple stints at the MLB level. The results in that scattered cup of coffee weren’t great, as Uceta yielded 15 earned runs on 19 hits and a dozen walks — albeit with an impressive 25 punchouts.
Uceta pitched in just 25 total games (five starts, 20 relief outings) between the big leagues and the minors this season, missing time due to a pair of lumbar strains. He fanned 27.2 percent of his opponents in the big leagues and 29.5 percent in Triple-A, but Uceta also walked 10.1 percent of his Triple-A opponents and logged a 13 percent mark in the Majors.
Baseball America has ranked Uceta among the Dodgers’ top 30 prospects in each of the past three seasons, including a No. 18 placement on their midseason rankings in 2021. FanGraphs’ Eric Longenhagen had him at No. 33 in the Dodgers’ system on his own midseason rankings, while Uceta was omitted from L.A.’s top 30 over at MLB.com. Both BA and FanGraphs call him a potential back-of-the-rotation starter who’ll likely need to add some bulk to his 6’0″, 155-pound frame. Uceta carries a career 3.79 ERA in 360 2/3 minor league frames and averaged 92.8 mph on his heater during this year’s brief MLB debut.
It’s hardly a surprise to see the D-backs quickly scoop up some potential rotation depth — particularly since Uceta has minor league options remaining beyond the 2021 season. The Snakes will have Madison Bumgarner, Zac Gallen, Luke Weaver, Tyler Gilbert and (assuming his eminently reasonable $5.25MM option is exercised) Merrill Kelly as the rotation favorites heading into 2022. They’ll need depth beyond that quintet, however, and it’s plausible that some of their incumbent arms — Kelly in particular, given that he’s a free agent after the ’22 season — could draw offseason trade interest.
Diamondbacks Claim Zack Burdi Off Waivers From Orioles
The Diamondbacks have claimed reliever Zack Burdi off waivers from the Orioles, both clubs announced. Baltimore also announced that reliever Travis Lakins Sr. has cleared waivers and been outrighted off the 40-man roster. Arizona’s 40-man roster is up to 38, while Baltimore’s 40-man tally now sits at 39. Lakins had previously been on the 60-day injured list and didn’t count against the 40-man.
Burdi is a hard-throwing righty who was selected by the White Sox in the first round after a dominant season closing at the University of Louisville. The hope had been that the Sox could fast-track Burdi to the big league ’pen, but his career was beset by injuries. He missed most of the 2018 season recovering from a Tommy John surgery, then wound up missing the final three months of the 2019 campaign.
Over the past two seasons, Burdi has tossed 17 1/3 innings of 7.79 ERA ball, allowing seven homers in that brief showing. His average fastball velocity sat just under 98 MPH in 2020. It was down two ticks last season, though, and Chicago lost him on waivers to the O’s in mid-August.
Even working with diminished arm strength, Burdi’s heater was still above-average. The D-Backs will take no-risk flier on that live arm which once made Burdi such a promising relief prospect. He still has a minor league option year remaining, so Arizona can shuttle him between the majors and Triple-A Reno next season if he sticks on their 40-man roster for the entire winter.
Lakins made 24 appearances with the O’s last season, his third consecutive year logging big league action. He worked 28 innings with a 5.79 ERA, striking out a below-average 19.5% of batters faced while walking an elevated 13.8% of opponents. Lakins ended the season on the injured list after undergoing surgery to repair an olecranon stress fracture in his elbow in early July, although the hope at the time had been that he’d be ready for Spring Training. He’ll remain in the organization without requiring a 40-man roster spot and hope to pitch his way back into the mix next spring.
