The D-backs bolstered their trade mix this winter by agreeing to a two-year reunion with Merrill Kelly and deliver Michael Soroka on a one-year deal, but the bullpen remains untouched. Taylor ClarkeA low-cost, one-year agreement is the only addition to any original note. General manager Mike Hazen emphasized to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic that he still plans to add to his relief corps, but most of the winter was focused on the rotation.
“The bull market is not over yet,” Hazen told Piecoro over the weekend. “There is a trade-off out there. … There are still conversations going on all over the place in this area.”
While that doesn’t mean the D-backs are locked into trading up for a free agent rather than signing one remaining free agent arm, it at least proves the belief that the trade market is the preferred option. The Diamondbacks brass has come out publicly saying that the salary will be reduced in 2026 as the team continues to aim to enter the championship. Hazen suggested to Piecoro that if he had signed the most outstanding waiver, established in free agency, that doing so would have cost re-signing Kelly, who agreed to a two-year, $40MM contract.
Landing active trade prospects, especially in the bullpen, is often a tricky endeavor – especially at this point in the offseason when so many names have already moved on. Cardinals lefty JoJo Romero is an obvious trade candidate, but the D-backs and Cards have already pulled off one significant deal (Nolan Arenado) and apparently did not plan a way to include Romero in that deal. The Rockies have other young, controllable relievers who have garnered interest (eg Victor Vodnik, Seth Halvorsen, Juan Mejia), but trading with a divisive enemy remains complex. Milwaukee Trevor McGill was subject to trade controversy earlier in the winter, but the Brewers may not feel a rush to clear their salary after a high-profile trade. Freddy Peralta to the Mets.
Sadly, however, Hazen’s comments aren’t the only indication that the Diamondbacks may choose the trade market as a way to bolster manager Torey Lovullo’s relief options. John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Arizona Sports suggested last week (before Hazen’s comments) that adding more bullpen help, especially through the trade market, and bringing in a good first baseman might be goals for the front office.
A good hitting first baseman is a natural target. Arizona hopes to add to that last summer when it acquired a top prospect Tyler Locklear from the Mariners as part of the Eugenio Suarez returning, but Locklear tore a ligament in his left elbow and injured the labrum in his left shoulder in a collision earlier in September. He underwent season-ending surgery shortly thereafter and is not a lock to be fit for the first half of the season. The 25-year-old Locklear has yet to reach 165 major league plate appearances, but he hit Triple-A with a .316/.401/.542 slugging line last year (136 wRC+) and has been terrific in 2024 (131 wRC+ between Double-A and A3, High-A3 and 1420 ARC) Double-A).
As it stands, Arizona has it Pavin Smith penciled in most of the work at first. He is a career .253/.333/.439 hitter against righties (111 wRC+) but has been even better over the past two seasons, though he has battled significant injuries that have limited his time on the field. Still, the late-blooming Smith has posted a massive .271/.359/.493 slash (134 wRC+) with 16 home runs, 26 doubles and three triples in 399 plate appearances against righties over the past two seasons. Unfortunately, he’s a career .222/.296/.301 hitter against his left-handed teammates, which only underscores the need for a teammate.
There has been a lot of speculation among D-backs fans about meeting them Paul Goldschmidtwho starred in Arizona for the first eight seasons of his career before being traded to St. Louis in the 2018-19 offseason. The 38-year-old’s .274/.328/.403 slash line with the Yankees last year was about league average, but he did almost all of the damage against lefties, hitting them at a .336/.411/.570 clip compared to just .247/.289/.329 against other righties. If Goldschmidt settles for the limited role that comes with being back home in Phoenix, he would certainly be a good fit. Some speculations in the free market include Rhys Hoskins, France again Justin Turner.
