D-Backs To Select Ildemaro Vargas
The Diamondbacks informed infielder Ildemaro Vargas he’ll be on the Opening Day roster, manager Torey Lovullo tells Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. The Snakes reassigned fellow minor league signee Jacob Amaya to minor league camp yesterday.
Vargas finished last season on Arizona’s big league roster. The Snakes waived the switch-hitting utilityman at the beginning of the offseason, bringing him back on a minor league deal. Vargas is an organizational favorite as a depth infielder. This will be his seventh season logging some time with the Diamondbacks in the big leagues. They’ve been split among four separate stints dating back to 2017.
The 34-year-old Vargas batted .270/.292/.383 across 121 plate appearances a season ago. He had an excellent camp, hitting .378 with a pair of home runs and four doubles. That probably didn’t move the needle much for Arizona’s front office, as they’re not going to expect Vargas to morph into an offensive force at this stage of his career. He’s on the team for his defensive versatility and clubhouse presence. Arizona will run out an infield of Carlos Santana, Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo and Nolan Arenado on most days.
Arizona will need to open at least three spots on their 40-man roster on Wednesday. Jonathan Loáisiga and Joe Ross also went into camp on minor league deals and secured MLB roster spots. Cristian Mena, Blake Walston, Tyler Locklear and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. are all candidates to land on the 60-day injured list — particularly the pitchers. If the Snakes don’t want to rule at least three of them out through the end of May, they’d need to designate one or more players for assignment.
Additionally, Piecoro reports that the team is carrying Juan Morillo and Andrew Hoffman as the last two middle relievers in their Opening Day bullpen. Those players are already on the 40-man roster, so there aren’t any roster complications, but it interestingly leaves them without a lefty to begin the season.
Paul Sewald, Taylor Clarke, Ryan Thompson and Kevin Ginkel are also in an all right-handed bullpen, while southpaws Brandyn Garcia and Philip Abner begin the season in Triple-A. The D-Backs open in Los Angeles against a Dodger lineup that includes Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Kyle Tucker and Max Muncy.
D-Backs, Ildemaro Vargas Agree To Minor League Deal
The Diamondbacks are in agreement on a new minor league contract with infielder Ildemaro Vargas, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. The MAS+ Agency client returns to the organization after being outrighted off the roster at the end of the season.
Vargas has plenty of familiarity with the D-Backs. The veteran utilityman has played three separate big league stints and parts of six seasons in the desert. He got into 38 games this past season. Vargas hit .270 but only walked twice in 121 plate appearances, leading to a modest .292 on-base percentage. He’s a .249/.289/.357 hitter over parts of nine MLB seasons.
Defensive versatility has been Vargas’ calling card. The majority of his experience has been at shortstop, but he saw more action between second and third base this year. He’s entering his age-34 season and likely headed to Triple-A Reno. The D-Backs also added glove-first shortstop Jacob Amaya as non-roster infield depth earlier this offseason.
12 Diamondbacks Players Elect Minor League Free Agency
TODAY: Pope, Curtiss, Kelly, Nelson, and Kaiser all elected minor league free agency, according to the Reno Aces’ official transactions page. In addition, Matt Mervis, Cristian Pache, Matt Foster, and Tristin English also elected free agency. Of that quartet, only English (a third round pick for Arizona in the 2019 draft) received any big league playing time with the D’Backs in 2025, and the others were in the organization on minor league contracts.
NOV. 6: The Diamondbacks have announced a handful of roster moves. Infielder Ildemaro Vargas, catcher James McCann, and left-hander Jalen Beeks have elected free agency. Right-handers Austin Pope, John Curtiss, and Casey Kelly, left-hander Kyle Nelson, and infielder Connor Kaiser were outrighted off the 40-man roster. Arizona’s 40-man roster now sits at 38 players.
Vargas just wrapped up his third stint with the team. The versatile utilityman debuted with the Diamondbacks in 2017. After playing a minor role across three seasons, Arizona designated him for assignment in 2020. The DFA led to a trade to the Twins, though Minnesota would also designate Vargas for assignment less than a month after acquiring him. The Cubs scooped him up off waivers for the final month of the season. Vargas went through a similar set of transactions in 2021, just in a different order. He was claimed off waivers by the Pirates in May, then designated for assignment a couple of weeks later. Pittsburgh worked out a trade that sent Vargas back to Arizona.
Washington gave Vargas his longest look to date. The Nationals signed him as a minor league free agent in May of 2022. He hit .280 in 53 games with the team. Washington gave Vargas semi-regular playing time over the next two seasons. He topped 300 plate appearances for the first time in 2024. Vargas signed a minor league deal to return to Arizona this past offseason. He appeared in 38 games with the team in 2025. Vargas has spent time at all four infield positions, plus left field and right field. He’s also made five appearances in mop-up duty on the mound, hilariously allowing just two earned runs in five innings. The 34-year-old’s extreme versatility could get him another gig this offseason.
Arizona added McCann after Atlanta cut him loose in June. He appeared in 42 games for the team, filling in behind the plate after Gabriel Moreno went down with a hand injury. The 34-year-old posted a solid 110 wRC+ in limited action.
Beeks ended up being a decent find for the Diamondbacks. They signed him just before the season began, and the veteran lefty contributed a 3.77 ERA over 57 1/3 innings. Beeks missed time with a back injury, but still managed to make 61 appearances, including two as an opener.
Curtiss is the only member of the DFA group to make a significant impact at the MLB level in 2025. He appeared in 30 games with the big-league club, recording a 3.93 ERA. Curtiss has bounced around frequently since debuting in 2017, pitching for eight different teams.
Nelson has been a part of Arizona’s bullpen in recent years, but he only appeared in three games this past season. Pope debuted in September, making a two-inning appearance against the Dodgers before heading back to Triple-A Reno. Kelly pitched in two games in August. Kaiser had a couple of brief stints with the big-league club, going 2-for-18 across 11 games.
Diamondbacks Designate Joe Mantiply For Assignment
The Diamondbacks announced a series of roster moves today, most of which were previously reported. They have selected right-hander Jeff Brigham and signed infielder Ildemaro Vargas. To open active roster spots for those two, infielder Jordan Lawlar and right-hander Kevin Ginkel have been optioned to Triple-A Reno. The club had one open 40-man roster spot but opened a second by designating left-hander Joe Mantiply for assignment.
Mantiply, 34, has fallen on hards time here in 2025 after a strong performance in previous seasons. From 2021 to 2024, he logged 198 1/3 innings with the Diamondbacks, allowing 3.63 earned runs per nine. His 22% strikeout rate in that time was around average but he only walked 6% of batters faced and kept 51.9% of balls in play on the ground. He racked up three saves and 50 holds in that span.
But this year, he allowed 13 earned runs in his first 7 1/3 innings. He was optioned down to Reno in mid-April while sporting an ERA of 15.95. He was recalled briefly a couple of weeks ago and allowed four more earned runs in 2 1/3 innings before getting optioned down again. He currently has an ugly 15.83 ERA on the year, though in a small sample of 9 2/3 innings.
There’s surely some bad luck in there, with his .512 batting average on balls in play and 56.5% strand rate both far to the unfortunate side of things. However, his strikeout rate has also dropped to 13.8% this year and he’s only been getting grounders at a 43.2% clip.
Those struggles have apparently been enough for him to lose his 40-man spot. He now heads into DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Snakes could spend up to five days exploring trade interest.
Other clubs might be willing to look past this year’s struggles but MLB teams are generally loath to take on money via midseason pickups, even relatively small amounts. Joel Payamps, like Mantiply, is a pitcher with some recent success but having a bad year. He recently passed through waivers, with no club willing to take on what remains of his $2.995MM salary.
Mantiply is making $1.7MM this year, barely half of what Payamps is making. He is also left-handed and can be optioned to the minors, whereas Payamps is a righty and out of options. On the other hand, Mantiply is three years older. The next few days will tell if Mantiply can find a club willing to take him on.
If he goes unclaimed, he will likely stick with the D’Backs as non-roster depth. Players with at least three years of major league service time have the right to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency. However, players with less than five years of service have to forfeit any remaining salary in order to exercise that right. Mantiply is shy of the five-year mark and would therefore probably accept an outright assignment, in order to keep that salary coming to him.
Photo courtesy of John Hefti, Imagn Images
Diamondbacks To Option Jordan Lawlar, Sign Ildemaro Vargas
The Diamondbacks are optioning infielder Jordan Lawlar to Triple-A Reno, reports John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix. Infielder Ildemaro Vargas will be taking Lawlar’s roster spot. Vargas triggered an opt-out from his minor league deal and was released earlier this week. Gambadoro adds that Vargas will be re-signed to a major league deal. Arizona has an open 40-man roster spot at the moment, though it will be full once Vargas is officially added.
Lawlar, 22, earned a promotion to the majors earlier this month. One of the top prospects in the league, he had a monster line of .336/.413/.579 in Triple-A and it was getting harder and harder for the club to justify keeping him in Reno. However, they didn’t really have a great way to get him into the big league lineup. His primary position is shortstop, though he’s also spent some time at second and third base.
The Diamondbacks have Geraldo Perdomo at short, Eugenio Suárez at third and Ketel Marte at second. Pavin Smith and Randal Grichuk usually platoon in the designated hitter spot. They’re all performing well this year, to varying degrees. Nonetheless, manager Torey Lovullo felt there was a path to get Lawlar into the lineup about four times per week while others rested.
That hasn’t really come to pass. Lawlar was called up on May 12th and has subsequently appeared in eight games. Only six of those were starts. He entered one other game as a pinch hitter and another as a pinch runner. He hasn’t performed well in that sporadic playing time. In 22 plate appearances, he has three walks but nine strikeouts and no hits. Optioning him down therefore makes sense, as there’s not much use in having him scuffle in a part-time role. It’s far better for his long-term outlook to play regularly as he continues his development.
An injury to one of the current infielders would likely result in him making a quick return to the majors. His long-term path to playing time looks stronger since Suárez and Grichuk are impending free agents. With the Diamondbacks five games out of a playoff spot, it’s possible they end up traded this summer, which could get Lawlar another look in the big leagues. First baseman Josh Naylor is also an impending free agent, which could allow Smith to take over that spot in the near future.
For now, Vargas is a more logical bench infielder. A 33-year-old veteran, he has 422 big league games under his belt, having bounced around the field to every position except catcher and center field. He also hits from both sides of the plate. His .246/.289/.354 career batting line amounts to a wRC+ of 75, which is below average production in a vacuum but generally around what a club would expect from a versatile bench piece. He started this year with the Diamondbacks on a minor league deal but, as mentioned, opted out a few days ago. Before triggering that opt-out, he hit .261/.330/.397 over 49 games for Reno.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Ildemaro Vargas Opts Out Of Minor League Deal With D-backs
Veteran utilityman Ildemaro Vargas triggered an opt-out in his minor league deal with the Diamondbacks and has been granted his release, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Arizona could have added him to the 40-man roster to retain him but have instead granted Vargas his release. He’s now a free agent.
The 33-year-old Vargas has appeared in parts of eight major league seasons and carries a lifetime .246/.289/.354 batting line in 1192 plate appearances split between the D-backs, Twins, Cubs, Pirates and Nationals. Arizona gave Vargas his major league debut back in 2017, and saw big league action with the Snakes in each subsequent season up through 2021. His return to the organization won’t culminate in a big league appearance this time around (barring a re-signing and some injuries that create a need at Chase Field).
Vargas has continued to showcase terrific bat-to-ball skills in Triple-A this year, fanning in only 9.5% of his 221 plate appearances. In 49 games with Reno, he’s batting .261/.330/.397 (78 wRC+) with five home runs, eight doubles, a pair of triples, four steals (in five tries) and an 8.6% walk rate. The versatile defender has seen time at second base, shortstop and third base this year — his three primary positions throughout his professional career. Vargas also has limited experience at first base and at all three outfield slots.
The switch-hitting Vargas has typically been better from the right side of the dish, but he’s had better luck swinging left-handed in 2025. He’s slashing .270/.329/.421 with 13 of his 15 extra-base hits while facing right-handed pitching in 2025; as a right-handed batter, he’s logged only a .234/.333/.319 output (albeit in a small sample of 54 plate appearances).
Though he can play all over the diamond, Vargas is best deployed as a second baseman or third baseman at this stage of his career. A team looking for some depth at those positions and perhaps more of an emergency option at short or in the outfield could take a look at the journeyman as he explores the market for new opportunities.
Diamondbacks Expected To Select Shelby Miller
Shelby Miller has exercised an upward mobility clause in his minor league contract with the Diamondbacks, though the right-hander doesn’t appear to be going anywhere, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that the D’Backs are expected to select his contract to the active roster. Miller inked his minors deal just at the start of Spring Training camp, and he’ll now officially return for a second stint in a Diamondbacks uniform.
That first stint is something of a painful memory for both Miller and Arizona fans, as he posted a 6.35 ERA over 139 innings with the club from 2016-18. Miller was acquired a part of a blockbuster five-player trade with the Braves in December 2015 that most prominently saw Dansby Swanson head to Atlanta, and Miller was viewed as an up-and-coming new fixture for the Diamondbacks’ rotation. However, injuries plagued Miller’s tenure in the desert, as a Tommy John surgery cost him the majority of the 2017-18 campaigns.
Miller has yet to recapture his early-career form in the intervening seasons, despite stops with multiple teams and a move to relief pitching. He had a very solid year in the Dodgers’ bullpen in 2023, but followed up his 1.71 ERA over 42 innings that year with an underwhelming 4.53 ERA in 55 2/3 frames out of the Tigers’ bullpen last season.
In Cactus League play this spring, however, Miller has a 2.70 ERA over 6 2/3 innings for the D’Backs. He has also struck out 11 out of his 25 batters faced, with zero walks against that impressive number of whiffs. Obviously time will tell if this performance can translate at all into the regular season, but it was enough to win Miller a spot in Arizona’s bullpen. Kendall Graveman has battled back problems this spring and may start the season on the injured list, which could’ve opened the door for Miller to make the team.
A 40-man roster spot for Miller could be opened up if and when Rene Pinto is designated for assignment, as Piecoro writes (multiple links) that Pinto was “saying his goodbyes in the clubhouse” earlier today. Pinto was claimed off waivers from the Orioles in January to add some depth to Arizona’s catching ranks, but it looks like Jose Herrera will indeed head to Opening Day as Gabriel Moreno‘s backup. Piecoro suggests that the D’Backs could look to trade Pinto as part of the DFA process, if he isn’t claimed away by a team in need of catching help.
In other Diamondbacks roster news, Piecoro reports that minor league signing Ildemaro Vargas won’t be making the team. Vargas has the ability to opt out of his minor league deal and will first explore his options, though he’ll play with Triple-A Reno if another roster spot can’t be found in another organization. The veteran utilityman is in his third stint with the D’Backs over his eight MLB seasons, but Garrett Hampson was selected to Arizona’s roster today, giving Hampson the win over Vargas in the competition for a bench job.
Diamondbacks, Ildemaro Vargas Agree To Minor League Deal
The D-Backs are in agreement with infielder Ildemaro Vargas on a minor league contract, reports Aram Leighton of Just Baseball. The 33-year-old will get an invite to MLB camp.
Vargas has spent the last two and a half seasons in Washington. The switch-hitting utilityman has played in a bit more than half of the Nationals’ games since the start of the 2023 campaign. Vargas puts the ball in play but rarely walks and has very little power. He hit .257/.302/.354 across 785 plate appearances with the Nats. Washington outrighted him off their 40-man roster at the end of the season, essentially non-tendering him in lieu of a $1.8MM arbitration projection.
Before this recent run in Washington, Vargas had spent the majority of his career with the Diamondbacks. He debuted with Arizona in 2017 and remained with the organization into 2020. Arizona traded him to the Twins during the shortened season but brought him back in a minor trade with the Pirates the following year. That ended up being a brief stint, as Arizona waived him at the start of the 2021-22 offseason.
Vargas has evidently made a positive impression on team brass. They’ll bring him back for a third stint in a non-roster capacity. Arizona has a decent amount of infield depth. Blaze Alexander and Tim Tawa are on hand as potential utility options behind the presumptive starting infield of Pavin Smith, Ketel Marte, Geraldo Perdomo and Eugenio Suárez. Top prospect Jordan Lawlar will probably open the season in Triple-A but could get his first extended MLB look next season. Vargas is stretched at shortstop but grades as a capable defender at both second and third base.
Joey Meneses, Ildemaro Vargas, Michael Rucker Elect Free Agency After Nationals’ Outrights
The Nationals announced that first baseman Joey Meneses, utilityman Ildemaro Vargas, and right-hander Michael Rucker are all free agents after clearing waivers and being outrighted off Washington’s 40-man roster. Meneses was eligible for minor league free agency, while Vargas (due to service time) and Rucker (a past outright assignment) were each eligible to elect free agency and chose to exercise that right. The moves clear some space on the Nationals’ roster for Josiah Gray, Cade Cavalli, Mason Thompson, and Joan Adon, who were all reinstated from the 60-day injured list.
Vargas was projected for a $1.8MM salary in his third and final year of arbitration eligibility, and with a non-tender likely looming, Vargas will now get an early start on the free agent market. The 33-year-old Vargas signed a minor league deal with Washington midway through the 2022 season and ended up hitting .257/.302/.354 over 785 plate appearances and 234 games in a Nats uniform. Most of Vargas’ playing time came at third base, but he spent a substantial amount of time at both middle infield positions and also chipped in for a few games as a first baseman, corner outfielder, and even a mop-up pitcher in blowouts.
Meneses also broke in with the Nationals (and in MLB in general) during the 2022 season, as he stepped in as Washington’s regular first baseman once Josh Bell was traded to the Padres as part of the Juan Soto deal. After bouncing around the minors and playing in Mexico and Japan during his long pro career, Meneses made the most of his big league debut by hitting .324/.367/.563 with 13 homers over 240 PA during the remainder of the 2022 campaign.
The magic of that unexpected breakout didn’t last, however, as Meneses had an unspectacular .275/.321/.401 slash line in 657 PA in 2023 as the Nationals’ regular DH. This translated to a sub-replacement level -0.2 fWAR, and the number sunk to -1.0 fWAR when Meneses hit only .231/.291/.302 in 313 PA this season. Juan Yepez and rookie Andres Chaparro look to be covering Washington’s first base situation for now, though the Nats are expected to make a play for a bigger-hitting first baseman this offseason.
Rucker’s run in the Nationals’ organization was brief, as he was only selected off waivers from the Phillies in September and he didn’t see any big league action. Rucker hasn’t pitched in the Show since 2023, and he was limited to 30 2/3 minor league innings with Philadelphia and Washington in 2024 due to a lengthy IL stint because of an arterial vasospasm in his pitching hand.
All of Rucker’s MLB experience came with the Cubs from 2021-23, when he posted a 4.96 ERA in 123 1/3 innings out of Chicago’s bullpen. The home run ball gave Rucker a lot of issues, though his career 3.94 SIERA, 22.6% strikeout rate, and 9.4% walk rate are all palatable. Assuming that Rucker is now fully healthy, he’ll likely land a minor league deal with a team in need of pitching depth.
Nationals, Ildemaro Vargas Avoid Arbitration
The Nationals have agreed to a contract with Ildemaro Vargas for the 2024 season, the team announced this afternoon. Financial details of the contract have not yet been made available. The deal will offer Vargas, who was set to be arbitration eligible this offseason, some security regarding his place in the organization headed into next season.
In exchange for guaranteeing Vargas his 2024 salary and, presumably, spot on the club’s 40-man roster throughout the offseason, the Nationals are getting cost certainty on a veteran infielder who’s proven to be a valuable bench piece during his time in Washington. After kicking off his big league career back in 2015, Vargas spent time with the Cubs, Pirates, Twins, and briefly returned to Arizona before landing in D.C. partway through the 2022 campaign.
Since arriving in the U.S. capitol, Vargas sports a .261/.304/.375 slash line that’s been good for a wRC+ of 90 while boasting a strikeout rate well below 10%. His high-contract, switch-hitting bat offers additional value off the bench thanks to his positional versatility. Vargas has played all four infield positions during his major league career in addition to left field. For a young Nationals club that has little infield depth behind CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia, retaining Vargas gives the club some insurance as they head into a critical offseason with plenty of top prospects on the horizon as soon as this time next year.
Of course, that Vargas figures to remain on the roster headed into 2024 doesn’t mean he figures to continue as the club’s starting third baseman, a role he assumed after Jeimer Candelario was shipped to the north side of Chicago for two prospects. While the pending free agent class isn’t exactly robust in terms of hitters, the coming group at the hot corner includes a handful of interesting veterans like Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Brian Anderson who could turn to the Nationals as an opportunity to draw regular starts in the majors as Candelario did this past offseason.
Vargas signing could also have an impact on fellow arbitration-eligible bench pieces like Michael Chavis and Dominic Smith. Both players are due for raises headed into the 2024 campaign, and could be feasible non-tender candidates for a club that already has Vargas’s veteran infield presence locked into next season’s bench group. Vargas’s return could also impact the opportunities afforded to players like Carter Kieboom and Jeter Downs who have yet to establish themselves in the big leagues.