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The Arizona Diamondbacks missed the postseason in the year after their Cinderella run to the World Series in 2023.
After the World Series appearance, the Diamondbacks finished the season with a respectable 89-73 record, but missed the playoffs and finished in third place in the National League West.
In a division with the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and San Diego Padres, the Diamondbacks have a tough road to a division title.
The Diamondbacks have made two notable acquisitions this offseason including trading for first baseman Josh Naylor from the Cleveland Guardians and signing free agent starting pitcher Corbin Burnes from the Baltimore Orioles.
MLB Analyst Tom Verducci revealed his thoughts on the Diamondbacks in the 2025 season.
The Diamondbacks finished with a record that was 16 games above the .500 mark, but their rotation struggled throughout the year.
With the addition of Burnes, the 2025 rotation for the Diamondbacks includes Burnes, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Brandon Pfaadt.
The starting rotation for the Diamondbacks appears to contain a lot of talent, and Verducci believes they are a sleeper team going into the 2025 season.
While the Diamondbacks haven’t won a division title since 2011, some of it can be attributed to the difficulty of the division that they play in.
The Diamondbacks showed that anything can happen in the postseason with their World Series run in 2023, and they will try to take the next step and win the title in 2025.
The post Analyst Names MLB Sleeper Team In 2025 appeared first on The Cold Wire.
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(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
The Arizona Diamondbacks missed the postseason in 2024 after appearing in the World Series in 2023.
After finishing with a record of 89-73, the Diamondbacks finished in third place in the National League West and missed the opportunity for another long playoff run.
As the Diamondbacks prepare for the 2025 season, they made one of the more surprising signings this offseason when they signed the top free agent starting pitcher Corbin Burnes from the Baltimore Orioles.
According to MLB Analyst Todd Frazier via Foul Territory on ‘X,’ Burnes likely joined the Diamondbacks for multiple reasons, including family opinions and tax implications, and he lives in Arizona.
Frazier explains that when a team is interested in a player, the player likely weighs the pros and cons of playing for that particular team.
Burnes just had twins, and he already lives in Arizona, which Frazier believes could have influenced his decision.
Most people were surprised that Burnes decided to join the Diamondbacks as they weren’t a team that anybody was talking about.
Burnes joined the league in 2018 with the Milwaukee Brewers, where he played for six seasons before joining the Orioles in 2024.
In 2024 with the Orioles, Burnes started 32 games and held a record of 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA and 181 strikeouts in 194.1 innings pitched.
The Diamondbacks will look to return to the postseason in 2025 and win their first NL West title since 2011.
Although the Diamondbacks reside in the same division as the Los Angeles Dodgers, adding Burnes could help them tremendously in 2025.
The post Analyst Reveals Why Corbin Burnes Likely Signed With The Diamondbacks appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Arizona Diamondbacks
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(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) The Arizona Diamondbacks surprised everybody with their postseason run to the 2023 World Series. However, they missed the postseason in 2024 despite finishing with a record of 89-73. Residing in the National League West with the Los Angeles Dodgers is not an easy task, so the Diamondbacks need to add some talent this offseason to try to compete for a title. So far, the Diamondbacks have signed starting pitcher Corbin Burnes from the Baltimore Orioles ...
Arizona Diamondbacks
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(Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
The Arizona Diamondbacks missed the postseason in 2024 after finishing third in the National League West.
A year removed from a 2023 World Series appearance, the Diamondbacks were unable to create the same magic.
This offseason, the Diamondbacks added a key piece to their rotation as they signed starting pitcher Corbin Burnes from the Baltimore Orioles.
Along with Burnes, the Diamondbacks also made a trade with the Cleveland Guardians to acquire first baseman Josh Naylor.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal recently revealed why the Diamondbacks appeal to free agents.
FT Senior Insider @Ken_Rosenthal on why Arizona has a built-in advantage for a lot of free agentspic.twitter.com/P1wiqsMcy1
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 3, 2025
Rosenthal also mentioned that a lot of players live in the Arizona area and that the tax rates are good.
He brings up some points that aren’t thought about by fans, but players likely want to be at home as much as possible.
Although Rosenthal said the Diamondbacks are appealing to free agents, they have only brought in Burnes so far this offseason.
It will be interesting to see if some of Rosenthal’s points lure other free agents to Arizona before the 2025 season begins.
The post Insider Reveals Why The Diamondbacks Appeal To Free Agents appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Arizona Diamondbacks
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(Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)
The Arizona Diamondbacks missed the postseason, even after finishing with an impressive record of 89-73.
Although the Diamondbacks made a World Series appearance in 2023, they were unable to give themselves another opportunity for a long postseason run in 2024.
The Diamondbacks just made a splash signing after they surprised everybody by bringing in the top starting pitcher free agent Corbin Burnes from the Baltimore Orioles.
Burnes signed with the Diamondbacks for six years worth $210 million, and he will likely be the ace of their pitching rotation.
According to B/R Walk-Off on ‘X,’ the Diamondbacks projected starting rotation was released.
The DBacks' 2025 rotation is looking SOLID
-Corbin Burnes
-Zac Gallen
-Merrill Kelly
-Eduardo Rodríguez
-Brandon Pfaadt pic.twitter.com/i0KwPomWUj
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) December 28, 2024
MLB fans took to social media to express their reactions to the projected starting rotation of the Diamondbacks.
MLB fans appear to be excited about the Diamondbacks’ rotation in 2025, and some fans even think they are World Series contenders.
With the addition of Burnes, the rotation also includes Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Brandon Pfaadt.
Burnes showed his ability to be the ace of a starting rotation in 2024 with the Orioles at the age of 30 years old.
In 2024, Burnes started 32 games and had a record of 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA and 181 strikeouts in 194.1 innings pitched.
The Diamondbacks only have one World Series title in franchise history, and it came back in 2001.
With the new look starting rotation, the Diamondbacks will look to win their first National League West title since 2011.
Although the Diamondbacks have not made many postseasons in recent history, their World Series run in 2023 shows that anything can happen come October.
The post Fans React To Diamondbacks’ Projected Starting Rotation appeared first on The Cold Wire.
Arizona Diamondbacks
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(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
The Arizona Diamondbacks missed the postseason in 2024 after appearing in the World Series in 2023, finishing with a record of 89-73.
Although the Diamondbacks had a record that was 16 games above the .500 mark, it was not enough for them to get into the playoffs.
The MLB offseason has been full of big free agent signings, and the Diamondbacks are the most recent team to add a star player.
Free agent starting pitcher Corbin Burnes signed with the Diamondbacks for six years worth $210 million.
Even more details about the signing were released on social media.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale on ‘X,’ Burnes received a $10 million signing bonus and is guaranteed $70 million over the first two years of the deal before he can opt out of the remaining $140 million over the last four years.
Nightengale revealed that Burnes received a significant signing bonus when he signed with the Diamondbacks, and he is guaranteed $70 million in the next two seasons.
Burnes was the top starting pitcher free agent this offseason, and the Diamondbacks were a bit of a surprise team to get the deal done with him.
After coming into the league and playing the first six seasons of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers, Burnes pitched for the Baltimore Orioles in 2024.
In 2024, Burnes started 32 games where he held a record of 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA and 181 strikeouts in 194.1 innings pitched.
The 30-year-old ace will now pitch for the Diamondbacks for the foreseeable future, and he has proven the ability to perform in the postseason if the team can make it.
The post Details Emerge About Corbin Burnes’ Massive Deal With Diamondbacks appeared first on The Cold Wire.
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(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
The Arizona Diamondbacks followed up their World Series appearance in 2023 by missing the postseason in 2024 after finishing with a record of 89-73.
Although the Diamondbacks had a winning record, they were unable to make the playoffs and have only made the postseason once in the last seven seasons.
The Diamondbacks headed into the offseason with a similar goal to every team in the league, and that is to add some talent for the 2025 season.
Not only did the Diamondbacks make a significant acquisition, but MLB Insider Jon Heyman thinks it was the biggest surprise of the offseason.
The Diamondbacks were able to sign the top starting pitcher free agent Burnes to a six-year deal worth $210 million.
Many MLB analysts reported that the San Francisco Giants were the frontrunner for Burnes, especially since he grew up in the California area.
Heyman also mentions that Burnes was offered more money per year and more money overall by other teams, but he chose to sign with the Diamondbacks regardless.
Burnes came into the league in 2018 with the Milwaukee Brewers and played for the Baltimore Orioles in 2024.
In 2024, Burnes started 32 games and had a record of 15-9 with a 2.92 ERA and 181 strikeouts in 194.1 innings pitched.
The Diamondbacks get a steal with the addition of Burnes, and they hope to make another World Series run in 2025.
The post Insider Names The Biggest MLB Surprise Of The Offseason appeared first on The Cold Wire.
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(Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
The Arizona Diamondbacks were coming off of a surprising World Series run in 2023 as they entered the 2024 season.
The Diamondbacks then missed the postseason after finishing with a record of 89-73.
They entered this offseason with the goal of getting back into the playoffs, and they made a trade with the Cleveland Guardians to acquire first baseman Josh Naylor.
Although this is the only significant move they have made so far, the Diamondbacks reportedly are interested in pursuing relief pitcher Kirby Yates, according to MLB Trade Rumors.
Yates is a 37-year-old veteran who has played 10 MLB seasons.
After his debut with the Tampa Bay Rays, Yates has played for six teams in his career.
In 2024 with the Texas Rangers, Yates appeared in 61 games and posted a record of 7-2 with a 1.17 ERA, 33 saves and 85 strikeouts in 61.2 innings pitched.
It was the lowest ERA of his career and his second-highest save total.
That proved he still has the stuff to be effective, and the Diamondbacks could benefit from his talents.
Though the Diamondbacks appeared in the World Series just two seasons ago, that was their only playoff appearance since 2017.
Yates will be a name to keep in mind as Arizona builds its roster for the 2025 season.
The post Kirby Yates Drawing Interest From 1 MLB Team appeared first on The Cold Wire.
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(Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
The Arizona Diamondbacks missed the postseason in 2024 coming off of their World Series loss to the Texas Rangers in 2023.
Their final record of 89-73 landed them in third place in the National League West and missing the wild-card spot by a tiebreaker.
As they prepare for the 2025 season, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo is encouraged that starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery will return to the team after reportedly exercising his player option.
“He feels like he has a lot to prove here with the Arizona Diamondbacks, he wants to go out and show us what he is most capable of doing,” Lovullo said, via MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM.
Jordan Montgomery is reportedly exercising his player option for the 2025 season. @Dbacks Manager Torey Lovullo is excited to see what the lefty can bring coming in fresh for a new season. #Diamondbacks | #Dbacks
https://t.co/6YbqEWFvEp pic.twitter.com/A0bLk8L6VF
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) November 1, 2024
Montgomery pitched for the World Series champion Rangers in 2023 before becoming a free agent in the offseason.
He went unsigned throughout spring training until the Diamondbacks signed him one day after the regular season began.
Lovullo mentions it was a frustrating season for Montgomery, which he appears to attribute to the strange offseason and not knowing where he would play.
Montgomery started 21 games for the Diamondbacks, posting an 8-7 record with a 6.23 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 117.0 innings.
Lovullo believes that with a normal offseason and spring training, Montgomery will come back to form in 2025.
The Diamondbacks have one World Series title in franchise history, which came back in 2001 when they defeated the New York Yankees in seven games.
Arizona also will be seeking its first NL West title since 2011.
The post Diamondbacks Manager Encouraged By Return Of 1 Pitcher appeared first on The Cold Wire.
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(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Former MLB player Greg Swindell is going through a very complicated time right now.
The former pitcher who won a World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks is pleading for everybody’s help, as his daughter has reportedly gone missing.
According to a report by TMZ Sports, Swindell took to Facebook to share a post about it.
“We feel she is in danger,” Swindell said via TMZ Sports.
Ex-MLB Pitcher Greg Swindell's Daughter Reported Missing In Texas | Click to read morehttps://t.co/xA5TYgySZT
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) August 26, 2024
To all the longhorn fans and Austin residents, I've been asked to share this! My friend @GregSwindell and his wife Sarah's daughter is missing! Info in the post, be on the lookout! pic.twitter.com/bVYVUkbENZ
— Zachary Johnson(@ZacharyDavidJo2) August 25, 2024
The 59-year-old hurler stated that his daughter, Brenna, who’s a single mom of three, has gone missing in the Austin, Texas, area.
Apparently, she went off the grid on Thursday.
Per Swindell, Brenna’s phone has been turned off, and she hasn’t been in touch with any relatives or known acquaintances, including her three children.
In a follow-up post, Swindell reportedly stated that he believes she is with her ex-boyfriend somewhere in Colorado, adding that the family feels like she might be in danger.
He described her as 5-foot-5, 120 pounds, and has tattoos on her arms, including ones of a spider web and flowers.
Swindell was the No. 2 pick in the 1986 MLB Draft.
A southpaw, Swindell played for the Cleveland Guardians, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Arizona Diamondbacks, posting a 3.86 ERA and making it to one All-Star game in 17 seasons.
Hopefully, this will be nothing more than a scare, and his daughter will be found safe and sound.
The post Former MLB Player’s Daughter Has Been Reported Missing appeared first on The Cold Wire.
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The Diamondbacks have signed right-hander Casey Kelly to a minor league deal, according to the transactions log on Kelly’s MLB.com profile page.
Kelly, 35, was a first-round pick by the Red Sox back in 2008. He quickly rose to minor league stardom, becoming a consensus top-100 prospect in the sport before he was traded to the Padres alongside future All-Star Anthony Rizzo in exchange for Adrian Gonzalez. Kelly made his big league debut with San Diego just a year later, though he struggled to a 6.21 ERA in 29 innings of work across six starts in that first big league cup of coffee. Tommy John surgery in 2013 forced him to stay away from the big league mound for quite some time after that, however, and upon his return in 2015 he was torched to the tune of a 7.94 ERA in 11 1/3 innings of work that brought the Padres chapter of his career to a disappointing end.
Kelly bounced through the Braves, Cubs, and Giants organizations over the next couple of seasons, even getting a brief look in the majors with Atlanta during the 2016 season, but it wasn’t until the 2018 campaign in San Francisco that the right-hander found success in the majors. That success was fairly limited, as Kelly pitched just 23 2/3 frames at the highest level that year, but his 3.04 ERA was the first above-average showing in the majors of his career. It even earned him some attention on the other side of the world, as Kelly went on to depart the Giants organization in favor of joining the Korea Baseball Organization’s LG Twins.
Kelly’s stint in Korea ultimately lasted six seasons, and saw him put together an impressive overseas career. The right-hander pitched to a 3.25 ERA overall in 989 1/3 innings of work for the LG Twins in parts of six seasons from 2019 to 2024. Those first four seasons were particularly impressive, as Kelly made at least 27 starts in each of them with ERAs ranging from 2.54 to 3.32 and solid peripheral numbers to match. Unfortunately, Kelly started to show signs of decline in 2023 that brought about the end of his KBO career in 2024 after he struggled to a 4.51 ERA in 19 starts for the LG Twins that led the club to cut him from the team in July of last year.
After being cut loose in Korea, Kelly made his way back into stateside ball with the Reds on a minor league deal. He managed to get called up to the majors for a brief stint down the stretch last year, his first stint in the majors in more than half a decade. He pitched just 5 1/3 innings for the Reds last year, surrendering three runs on three hits (one homer) and a walk while striking out four. The right-hander was then outrighted to Triple-A Louisville in August and elected minor league free agency back in October. Now, Kelly appears likely to serve as non-roster depth for the Diamondbacks headed into 2025. He’s got plenty of competition on the club’s pitching depth chart, with Jordan Montgomery, Ryne Nelson, and Tommy Henry among the pitchers just on the 40-man roster who could vie for a long relief role with the club this season.
Kelly, 35, was a first-round pick by the Red Sox back in 2008. He quickly rose to minor league stardom, becoming a consensus top-100 prospect in the sport before he was traded to the Padres alongside future All-Star Anthony Rizzo in exchange for Adrian Gonzalez. Kelly made his big league debut with San Diego just a year later, though he struggled to a 6.21 ERA in 29 innings of work across six starts in that first big league cup of coffee. Tommy John surgery in 2013 forced him to stay away from the big league mound for quite some time after that, however, and upon his return in 2015 he was torched to the tune of a 7.94 ERA in 11 1/3 innings of work that brought the Padres chapter of his career to a disappointing end.
Kelly bounced through the Braves, Cubs, and Giants organizations over the next couple of seasons, even getting a brief look in the majors with Atlanta during the 2016 season, but it wasn’t until the 2018 campaign in San Francisco that the right-hander found success in the majors. That success was fairly limited, as Kelly pitched just 23 2/3 frames at the highest level that year, but his 3.04 ERA was the first above-average showing in the majors of his career. It even earned him some attention on the other side of the world, as Kelly went on to depart the Giants organization in favor of joining the Korea Baseball Organization’s LG Twins.
Kelly’s stint in Korea ultimately lasted six seasons, and saw him put together an impressive overseas career. The right-hander pitched to a 3.25 ERA overall in 989 1/3 innings of work for the LG Twins in parts of six seasons from 2019 to 2024. Those first four seasons were particularly impressive, as Kelly made at least 27 starts in each of them with ERAs ranging from 2.54 to 3.32 and solid peripheral numbers to match. Unfortunately, Kelly started to show signs of decline in 2023 that brought about the end of his KBO career in 2024 after he struggled to a 4.51 ERA in 19 starts for the LG Twins that led the club to cut him from the team in July of last year.
After being cut loose in Korea, Kelly made his way back into stateside ball with the Reds on a minor league deal. He managed to get called up to the majors for a brief stint down the stretch last year, his first stint in the majors in more than half a decade. He pitched just 5 1/3 innings for the Reds last year, surrendering three runs on three hits (one homer) and a walk while striking out four. The right-hander was then outrighted to Triple-A Louisville in August and elected minor league free agency back in October. Now, Kelly appears likely to serve as non-roster depth for the Diamondbacks headed into 2025. He’s got plenty of competition on the club’s pitching depth chart, with Jordan Montgomery, Ryne Nelson, and Tommy Henry among the pitchers just on the 40-man roster who could vie for a long relief role with the club this season.
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Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo tells Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports that infielder Blaze Alexander has a right oblique strain. A firm timeline wasn’t provided but the skipper said Alexander’s absence will be measured in weeks rather than days. With Opening Day now less than a month away, a season-opening trip to the injured list seems distinctly possible. Even if he’s healthy prior to the opener, he’ll need to get some reps and effectively redo spring training to get into game shape.
Alexander, 26, projected as the club’s likely bench infielder before this injury. He got into 61 games for the Snakes last year, his first major league action, stepping to the plate 185 times. His .247/.321/.343 batting line led to a wRC+ of 88. That indicates he was 12% below league average overall but that’s not awful for a guy who can play multiple positions off the bench. Alexander logged at least 53 innings at shortstop, second base and third base last year.
The Diamondbacks have everyday regulars at those spots, with Geraldo Perdomo at short, Ketel Marte at second and Eugenio Suárez at third. Alexander can give the club cover at those three spots when healthy but they will have to find another option if he has to start the season on the injured list.
On the 40-man roster, the Diamondbacks do have some other infield options. Jordan Lawlar is the most notable, but he is one of the top prospects in the league and only played 23 minor league games last year due to injuries. Presumably, the Diamondbacks would prefer to have him playing every day in the minors and getting back in form after a mostly lost season. It’s possible he plays his way into the third base job and pushes Suárez into the designated hitter slot, though the Diamondbacks might also want Pavin Smith to get at-bats there.
Grae Kessinger and Tim Tawa are also on the roster, though Tawa has very little shortstop experience in the minors, making him an imperfect fit as the club’s primary bench infielder. Kessinger has played all over the field but has hit just .131/.243/.213 in his big league career thus far. His minor league offense has been better but still subpar. His .234/.332/.372 batting line on the farm over the past four years leads to an 83 wRC+.
The free agent market features guys like Jose Iglesias and Joey Wendle, though the Snakes likely won’t be compelled to make a move if Alexander is going to return fairly early in the season. Other infielders will surely become available as Opening Day nears and all clubs make their final roster cuts, so perhaps the Snakes will keep a lookout for veterans opting out of minor league deals or fringe players hitting the waiver wire.
Alexander, 26, projected as the club’s likely bench infielder before this injury. He got into 61 games for the Snakes last year, his first major league action, stepping to the plate 185 times. His .247/.321/.343 batting line led to a wRC+ of 88. That indicates he was 12% below league average overall but that’s not awful for a guy who can play multiple positions off the bench. Alexander logged at least 53 innings at shortstop, second base and third base last year.
The Diamondbacks have everyday regulars at those spots, with Geraldo Perdomo at short, Ketel Marte at second and Eugenio Suárez at third. Alexander can give the club cover at those three spots when healthy but they will have to find another option if he has to start the season on the injured list.
On the 40-man roster, the Diamondbacks do have some other infield options. Jordan Lawlar is the most notable, but he is one of the top prospects in the league and only played 23 minor league games last year due to injuries. Presumably, the Diamondbacks would prefer to have him playing every day in the minors and getting back in form after a mostly lost season. It’s possible he plays his way into the third base job and pushes Suárez into the designated hitter slot, though the Diamondbacks might also want Pavin Smith to get at-bats there.
Grae Kessinger and Tim Tawa are also on the roster, though Tawa has very little shortstop experience in the minors, making him an imperfect fit as the club’s primary bench infielder. Kessinger has played all over the field but has hit just .131/.243/.213 in his big league career thus far. His minor league offense has been better but still subpar. His .234/.332/.372 batting line on the farm over the past four years leads to an 83 wRC+.
The free agent market features guys like Jose Iglesias and Joey Wendle, though the Snakes likely won’t be compelled to make a move if Alexander is going to return fairly early in the season. Other infielders will surely become available as Opening Day nears and all clubs make their final roster cuts, so perhaps the Snakes will keep a lookout for veterans opting out of minor league deals or fringe players hitting the waiver wire.
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Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo revealed today that right-handers Thyago Vieira and Josh Winder will both require Tommy John surgery, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Both righties had been in camp as non-roster invitees but each will now miss the entire 2025 season.
Vieira, 32, was claimed off waivers from the Orioles in June. The following month, the Snakes put him back on waivers and passed him through unclaimed. He was invited to big league camp and could have earned his way back into the majors. However, that clearly won’t come to pass now.
The righty debuted in the majors back in 2017. He pitched in Japan from 2020 to 2022 but was in each major league season around that. He has 66 2/3 big league innings pitched in the majors between the Mariners, White Sox, Brewers, Orioles and Diamondbacks. He has a 5.81 earned run average, 20.8% strikeout rate and 13.1% walk rate. He’ll turn 33 in January of 2026 as he approaches the one-year anniversary of this surgery.
Winder, 28, was a promising prospect not too long ago but injuries have derailed him in recent years. In 2021, he posted a 2.63 ERA across 14 minor league starts. Baseball America ranked him the #6 prospect in Minnesota’s system going into 2022.
Despite the solid results, shoulder issues cropped up in 2021 which impacted him for the next few years. He spent time on the minor league injured list due to shoulder injuries in each season from 2021 to 2023. Last year, he was on the major league IL for the first couple of months of the campaign due to a scapular stress fracture.
Around those shoulder issues, Winder tossed 110 2/3 major league innings from 2022 through 2024, posting a 4.39 ERA with an 18% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate. But he was mostly kept in the minors after getting healthy last year and had a 6.15 ERA at the Triple-A level, pitching mostly in relief. The Twins outrighted him off the roster at season’s end.
He elected free agency and signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks, presumably hoping for a fresh start with a new club. Instead, he’ll have to spend the rest of the year rehabbing with an eye on returning at some point in 2026. He’ll celebrate his 29th birthday this coming October. Since neither Winder nor Vieira had a 40-man roster spot, they won’t collect service time for the upcoming season.
For the Snakes, they have a strong relief group overall, something that MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently took a detailed look at. These injuries will deprive them of some non-roster depth, though there are still many unsigned pitchers who could be brought aboard as reinforcements. As Opening Day nears, other guys will also shake loose as clubs make their final camp cuts.
Vieira, 32, was claimed off waivers from the Orioles in June. The following month, the Snakes put him back on waivers and passed him through unclaimed. He was invited to big league camp and could have earned his way back into the majors. However, that clearly won’t come to pass now.
The righty debuted in the majors back in 2017. He pitched in Japan from 2020 to 2022 but was in each major league season around that. He has 66 2/3 big league innings pitched in the majors between the Mariners, White Sox, Brewers, Orioles and Diamondbacks. He has a 5.81 earned run average, 20.8% strikeout rate and 13.1% walk rate. He’ll turn 33 in January of 2026 as he approaches the one-year anniversary of this surgery.
Winder, 28, was a promising prospect not too long ago but injuries have derailed him in recent years. In 2021, he posted a 2.63 ERA across 14 minor league starts. Baseball America ranked him the #6 prospect in Minnesota’s system going into 2022.
Despite the solid results, shoulder issues cropped up in 2021 which impacted him for the next few years. He spent time on the minor league injured list due to shoulder injuries in each season from 2021 to 2023. Last year, he was on the major league IL for the first couple of months of the campaign due to a scapular stress fracture.
Around those shoulder issues, Winder tossed 110 2/3 major league innings from 2022 through 2024, posting a 4.39 ERA with an 18% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate. But he was mostly kept in the minors after getting healthy last year and had a 6.15 ERA at the Triple-A level, pitching mostly in relief. The Twins outrighted him off the roster at season’s end.
He elected free agency and signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks, presumably hoping for a fresh start with a new club. Instead, he’ll have to spend the rest of the year rehabbing with an eye on returning at some point in 2026. He’ll celebrate his 29th birthday this coming October. Since neither Winder nor Vieira had a 40-man roster spot, they won’t collect service time for the upcoming season.
For the Snakes, they have a strong relief group overall, something that MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently took a detailed look at. These injuries will deprive them of some non-roster depth, though there are still many unsigned pitchers who could be brought aboard as reinforcements. As Opening Day nears, other guys will also shake loose as clubs make their final camp cuts.
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The Diamondbacks entered the offseason in search of a new first baseman, a closer and some right-handed thump in the lineup, among other items on the to-do list. They’ve broadly succeeded, acquiring Josh Naylor from the Guardians to replace free agent Christian Walker and re-signing Randal Grichuk. The Snakes haven’t found a slam-dunk closer, but they signed a new (co) ace, shocking the industry with their signing of Corbin Burnes for six years and $210MM.
While there’s still one marquee free agent reliever on the market — David Robertson has yet to sign — it appears increasingly likely that the Diamondbacks will largely go with the arms who are already in camp as they look to sort out the ninth inning. Arizona’s payroll is already projected for a franchise-record $195MM. That’s a new highwater mark by a measure of nearly $30MM. We can always adopt the “never say never” mentality as long as there are a few viable closing options on the free agent and trade markets, but the D-backs may already have their closer in house. At present, A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez appear to be the front-runners.
Puk, acquired at the deadline from the Marlins in exchange for young slugger Deyvison De Los Santos and outfielder Andrew Pintar, enjoyed a quietly dominant season in 2024. His cumulative 3.15 ERA looks more good than great, but it’s skewed by a failed experiment wherein the Marlins tried to stretch him back out as a starter early in the season. Puk was clobbered for 17 runs in 13 2/3 innings. He moved back to the bullpen, and from that point forth was arguably the best reliever in the sport.
After giving up 17 earned runs in his four starts, Puk only allowed 11 more earned runs for the entire season. He posted a 1.72 ERA out of the bullpen in 2024, fanning a colossal 35% of his opponents against a terrific 5.1% walk rate. Opponents averaged only 86.6 mph off the bat against him in that time with a middling 32.6% hard-hit rate. Per Statcast, only five of his opponents’ batted balls in that time were barreled. Puk allowed a run in his second appearance with the D-backs and then went on a run for the ages, rattling off 23 2/3 scoreless innings with a 38-to-4 K/BB ratio. He punched out 44.7% of opponents in that career-best run.
Martinez was nearly as dominant for the early portion of the 2024 season. The young flamethrower posted a 1.60 ERA with a 27.5% strikeout rate and mammoth 64.5% grounder rate in his first 50 innings of work. His exit velocity and hard-hit rate were nearly identical to Puk’s marks as a reliever. An 11.5% walk rate was in clear need of improvement, but for a 22-year-old who averaged better than 100 mph on both his four-seamer and sinker, it’s hard to draw up a more promising start.
That run of dominance didn’t last the full season, however. While Martinez remained a solid reliever, his 3.90 ERA over the final 27 2/3 innings of his season was far less eye-catching. The young righty’s strikeout rate actually ticked up during that span, perhaps due to roughly doubling the usage of his four-seamer at the expense of his sinker, but his grounder rate fell sharply. There was surely some poor fortune in play, as Martinez was hampered by a .388 BABIP during this stretch despite continuing to limit hard contact (and allowing only one home run).
Whether in the ninth inning or working in a setup capacity, both Puk and Martinez will be in high-leverage roles this season. They were two of the D-backs’ top five arms in terms of their average leverage index — but not the top two. Paul Sewald’s departure in free agency subtracted one of Arizona’s top leverage arms, but it was actually righty Ryan Thompson who found himself most frequently in high-leverage spots, followed by Martinez and then by fellow righty Kevin Ginkel.
The 32-year-old Thompson isn’t the prototypical power arm often associated with pressure-packed, late-inning situations. He’s a sidearming righty who averages just 91 mph on his sinker and 92.5 mph on his lesser-used four-seamer. Thompson’s 19.1% strikeout rate was well below the 23.4% league average among relievers. However, he boasts a 61% grounder rate, rarely issues walks (5.5%) and posted nearly identical results versus righties (.254/.299/.377) and lefties (.254/.293/.377). He picked up two saves and 24 holds.
Ginkel, 30, has quietly emerged as a key arm in Phoenix. He was never a top prospect and didn’t truly establish himself as a reliable reliever until his age-28 season, in 2022. Over the past three seasons, he’s tossed 164 2/3 innings with a 2.95 ERA. It’s not necessarily flashy, as Ginkel is more good-than-great in terms of strikeout rate (26.5%), walk rate (7.3%), swinging-strike rate (12.5%), ground-ball rate (47.1%) and fastball velocity (96 mph average) in that time. Even with the lack of one standout area in which he truly excels, his above-average rates across the board have made him a consistent and reliable late-inning option for manager Torey Lovullo.
Also entering the mix is 34-year-old Kendall Graveman, who signed a one-year, $1.35MM deal after missing the 2024 season due to shoulder surgery. With 24 saves and 56 holds from 2020-23, Graveman is no stranger to late-inning work. After moving to the bullpen in Sept. 2020 with the Mariners, Graveman rattled off 197 1/3 innings with a 2.78 ERA, 24% strikeout rate, 10.3% walk rate and 49.2% grounder rate. At his best, Graveman averaged better than 96 mph on his heater and offered a Ginkel-esque blend of above-average strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates while sitting around 96 mph with his main offering. Whether he can return to that form in the wake of last year’s shoulder surgery is an open question.
However it shakes out, the Snakes look to have a solid quintet of arms rounding out the late-inning group at Chase Field. Lefty Joe Mantiply offers a solid middle-inning complement who has picked up around 12 holds per year over the past four seasons. A starter who doesn’t make the rotation (e.g. Jordan Montgomery, Ryne Nelson) could hold down another spot. Bryce Jarvis, Kyle Nelson and non-roster candidates like Shelby Miller, Scott McGough, John Curtiss and Josh Winder (among others) will vie for what’s likely one open spot.
There’s enough left on both the trade and free agent markets that it’s not impossible to envision a change still impacting Lovullo’s bullpen composition. Signing Robertson might be too pricey, likely pushing the D-backs into $200MM+ payroll territory for the first time, but if GM Mike Hazen ultimately finds a trade partner for Montgomery, any savings could make Robertson feel likelier. The Padres have been open to offers on Robert Suarez. Trading within the division probably isn’t either team’s first choice, though. A Ryan Helsley trade before next offseason feels virtually inevitable but also seems likelier to happen in-season at this point.
In any bullpen, there’s almost always room for one more addition. But, if this is the group the D-backs take into the season, they can still feel good about an impressive breadth of experienced late-inning arms who have the makings of a strong overall unit.
While there’s still one marquee free agent reliever on the market — David Robertson has yet to sign — it appears increasingly likely that the Diamondbacks will largely go with the arms who are already in camp as they look to sort out the ninth inning. Arizona’s payroll is already projected for a franchise-record $195MM. That’s a new highwater mark by a measure of nearly $30MM. We can always adopt the “never say never” mentality as long as there are a few viable closing options on the free agent and trade markets, but the D-backs may already have their closer in house. At present, A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez appear to be the front-runners.
Puk, acquired at the deadline from the Marlins in exchange for young slugger Deyvison De Los Santos and outfielder Andrew Pintar, enjoyed a quietly dominant season in 2024. His cumulative 3.15 ERA looks more good than great, but it’s skewed by a failed experiment wherein the Marlins tried to stretch him back out as a starter early in the season. Puk was clobbered for 17 runs in 13 2/3 innings. He moved back to the bullpen, and from that point forth was arguably the best reliever in the sport.
After giving up 17 earned runs in his four starts, Puk only allowed 11 more earned runs for the entire season. He posted a 1.72 ERA out of the bullpen in 2024, fanning a colossal 35% of his opponents against a terrific 5.1% walk rate. Opponents averaged only 86.6 mph off the bat against him in that time with a middling 32.6% hard-hit rate. Per Statcast, only five of his opponents’ batted balls in that time were barreled. Puk allowed a run in his second appearance with the D-backs and then went on a run for the ages, rattling off 23 2/3 scoreless innings with a 38-to-4 K/BB ratio. He punched out 44.7% of opponents in that career-best run.
Martinez was nearly as dominant for the early portion of the 2024 season. The young flamethrower posted a 1.60 ERA with a 27.5% strikeout rate and mammoth 64.5% grounder rate in his first 50 innings of work. His exit velocity and hard-hit rate were nearly identical to Puk’s marks as a reliever. An 11.5% walk rate was in clear need of improvement, but for a 22-year-old who averaged better than 100 mph on both his four-seamer and sinker, it’s hard to draw up a more promising start.
That run of dominance didn’t last the full season, however. While Martinez remained a solid reliever, his 3.90 ERA over the final 27 2/3 innings of his season was far less eye-catching. The young righty’s strikeout rate actually ticked up during that span, perhaps due to roughly doubling the usage of his four-seamer at the expense of his sinker, but his grounder rate fell sharply. There was surely some poor fortune in play, as Martinez was hampered by a .388 BABIP during this stretch despite continuing to limit hard contact (and allowing only one home run).
Whether in the ninth inning or working in a setup capacity, both Puk and Martinez will be in high-leverage roles this season. They were two of the D-backs’ top five arms in terms of their average leverage index — but not the top two. Paul Sewald’s departure in free agency subtracted one of Arizona’s top leverage arms, but it was actually righty Ryan Thompson who found himself most frequently in high-leverage spots, followed by Martinez and then by fellow righty Kevin Ginkel.
The 32-year-old Thompson isn’t the prototypical power arm often associated with pressure-packed, late-inning situations. He’s a sidearming righty who averages just 91 mph on his sinker and 92.5 mph on his lesser-used four-seamer. Thompson’s 19.1% strikeout rate was well below the 23.4% league average among relievers. However, he boasts a 61% grounder rate, rarely issues walks (5.5%) and posted nearly identical results versus righties (.254/.299/.377) and lefties (.254/.293/.377). He picked up two saves and 24 holds.
Ginkel, 30, has quietly emerged as a key arm in Phoenix. He was never a top prospect and didn’t truly establish himself as a reliable reliever until his age-28 season, in 2022. Over the past three seasons, he’s tossed 164 2/3 innings with a 2.95 ERA. It’s not necessarily flashy, as Ginkel is more good-than-great in terms of strikeout rate (26.5%), walk rate (7.3%), swinging-strike rate (12.5%), ground-ball rate (47.1%) and fastball velocity (96 mph average) in that time. Even with the lack of one standout area in which he truly excels, his above-average rates across the board have made him a consistent and reliable late-inning option for manager Torey Lovullo.
Also entering the mix is 34-year-old Kendall Graveman, who signed a one-year, $1.35MM deal after missing the 2024 season due to shoulder surgery. With 24 saves and 56 holds from 2020-23, Graveman is no stranger to late-inning work. After moving to the bullpen in Sept. 2020 with the Mariners, Graveman rattled off 197 1/3 innings with a 2.78 ERA, 24% strikeout rate, 10.3% walk rate and 49.2% grounder rate. At his best, Graveman averaged better than 96 mph on his heater and offered a Ginkel-esque blend of above-average strikeout, walk and ground-ball rates while sitting around 96 mph with his main offering. Whether he can return to that form in the wake of last year’s shoulder surgery is an open question.
However it shakes out, the Snakes look to have a solid quintet of arms rounding out the late-inning group at Chase Field. Lefty Joe Mantiply offers a solid middle-inning complement who has picked up around 12 holds per year over the past four seasons. A starter who doesn’t make the rotation (e.g. Jordan Montgomery, Ryne Nelson) could hold down another spot. Bryce Jarvis, Kyle Nelson and non-roster candidates like Shelby Miller, Scott McGough, John Curtiss and Josh Winder (among others) will vie for what’s likely one open spot.
There’s enough left on both the trade and free agent markets that it’s not impossible to envision a change still impacting Lovullo’s bullpen composition. Signing Robertson might be too pricey, likely pushing the D-backs into $200MM+ payroll territory for the first time, but if GM Mike Hazen ultimately finds a trade partner for Montgomery, any savings could make Robertson feel likelier. The Padres have been open to offers on Robert Suarez. Trading within the division probably isn’t either team’s first choice, though. A Ryan Helsley trade before next offseason feels virtually inevitable but also seems likelier to happen in-season at this point.
In any bullpen, there’s almost always room for one more addition. But, if this is the group the D-backs take into the season, they can still feel good about an impressive breadth of experienced late-inning arms who have the makings of a strong overall unit.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Starter
Every offseason, the primary focus for baseball fans is on trades and free agent activity. Naturally, major league free agent signings garner the majority of the attention and generate the most buzz. Minor league signees come with less fanfare, typically with good reason. They tend to be older veterans who are looking to extend their playing careers or perhaps younger names looking to rebound from an injury or a disappointing showing the prior season (sometimes the prior few seasons).
As spring training progresses, we’re seeing an uptick in minor league signings. Free agents who’ve lingered on the market and felt their leverage in negotiations dry up begin to concede and accept non-guaranteed pacts to get to camp in hopes of winning a roster spot.
Salary details for minor league signees isn’t as prominently reported on as it is for players signing guaranteed big league deals. The Associated Press just published a list of free agent signings throughout the winter, including within salary details for a handful of (mostly) recent minor league signings. Many of the salaries reported by the AP were already known and reflected here at MLBTR, but the report does include more than two dozen previously unreported base salaries for players on minor league deals. Here’s a quick rundown (player salary links point back to prior MLBTR posts detailing that minor league signing):
Blue Jays: Jacob Barnes, RHP, $1.4MM | Ryan Yarbrough, LHP, $2MM
Braves: Curt Casali, C, $1.25MM | Buck Farmer, RHP, $1MM
Brewers: Manuel Margot, OF, $1.3MM | Mark Canha, 1B/OF, $1.4MM
Cubs: Brooks Kriske, RHP, $900K | Travis Jankowski, OF, $1.25MM | Chris Flexen, RHP, $1.5MM
Diamondbacks: Garrett Hampson, INF/OF, $1.5MM | Scott McGough, RHP, $1.25MM
Dodgers: Luis Garcia, RHP, $1.5MM
Giants: Lou Trivino, RHP, $1.5MM
Mariners: Shintaro Fujinami, RHP, $1.3MM | Trevor Gott, RHP, $1.35MM
Padres: Yuli Gurriel, 1B, $1.35MM ($100K higher than initially reported)
Rangers: Nick Ahmed, SS, $1.25MM | Jesse Chavez, RHP, $1.25MM | David Buchanan, RHP, $1.375MM | Kevin Pillar, OF, $1MM
Red Sox: Matt Moore, LHP, $2MM
Royals: Luke Maile, C, $2MM | Ross Stripling, RHP, $1.75MM
White Sox: Brandon Drury, INF/OF, $2MM | Mike Clevinger, RHP, $1.5MM
A few things bear emphasizing. First, this is clearly not a comprehensive list of minor league signings throughout the league — nor is it even a comprehensive list of the listed teams’ non-roster invitees to camp. Secondly, many of these sums are of little consequence to the team. They’re not even guaranteed, after all, and even if a player makes the Opening Day roster and earns the full slate of his minor league salary, most of these salaries aren’t going to carry significant payroll ramifications.
That’s not true across the board, though. For instance, the Rangers are fully intent on remaining under the $241MM luxury tax threshold. At present, RosterResource projects them at $235.7MM of luxury obligations. Opting to select the contract of Buchanan or Chavez rather than allocating those innings to pre-arbitration players who’s being paid at league-minimum levels (or a few thousand dollars north of it) would inch the Rangers’ CBT number forward. They’re not going to hit the tax line even in if they wind up adding multiple NRIs to the actual roster, but selecting their contracts will further narrow the resources president of baseball ops Chris Young will have at his disposal for midseason dealings.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, are effectively seated right at the tax threshold. RosterResource has them with $241.4MM of luxury considerations. Team president Sam Kennedy said after signing Alex Bregman that he expects his team will be a CBT payor in 2025. As things stand, the Sox could duck back under that threshold, but selecting the contract of Moore, Adam Ottavino (also $2MM) or another prominent NRI would further signal ownership’s willingness to return to luxury tax status for the first time since 2022.
There’s probably no getting back under the tax line for the Blue Jays, who currently have a $273.3MM CBT number. However, the front office would presumably like to avoid reaching $281MM in tax obligations, as that’s the point at which Toronto’s top pick in the 2026 draft would be dropped by ten spots. In-season trades will have more of an effect on their tax number than decisions on NRIs like Barnes, Yarbrough, Eric Lauer and others, but it bears mentioning that the Blue Jays are around $8MM shy of what many clubs consider to be the most detrimental impact of straying to deep into CBT waters.
As spring training progresses, we’re seeing an uptick in minor league signings. Free agents who’ve lingered on the market and felt their leverage in negotiations dry up begin to concede and accept non-guaranteed pacts to get to camp in hopes of winning a roster spot.
Salary details for minor league signees isn’t as prominently reported on as it is for players signing guaranteed big league deals. The Associated Press just published a list of free agent signings throughout the winter, including within salary details for a handful of (mostly) recent minor league signings. Many of the salaries reported by the AP were already known and reflected here at MLBTR, but the report does include more than two dozen previously unreported base salaries for players on minor league deals. Here’s a quick rundown (player salary links point back to prior MLBTR posts detailing that minor league signing):
Blue Jays: Jacob Barnes, RHP, $1.4MM | Ryan Yarbrough, LHP, $2MM
Braves: Curt Casali, C, $1.25MM | Buck Farmer, RHP, $1MM
Brewers: Manuel Margot, OF, $1.3MM | Mark Canha, 1B/OF, $1.4MM
Cubs: Brooks Kriske, RHP, $900K | Travis Jankowski, OF, $1.25MM | Chris Flexen, RHP, $1.5MM
Diamondbacks: Garrett Hampson, INF/OF, $1.5MM | Scott McGough, RHP, $1.25MM
Dodgers: Luis Garcia, RHP, $1.5MM
Giants: Lou Trivino, RHP, $1.5MM
Mariners: Shintaro Fujinami, RHP, $1.3MM | Trevor Gott, RHP, $1.35MM
Padres: Yuli Gurriel, 1B, $1.35MM ($100K higher than initially reported)
Rangers: Nick Ahmed, SS, $1.25MM | Jesse Chavez, RHP, $1.25MM | David Buchanan, RHP, $1.375MM | Kevin Pillar, OF, $1MM
Red Sox: Matt Moore, LHP, $2MM
Royals: Luke Maile, C, $2MM | Ross Stripling, RHP, $1.75MM
White Sox: Brandon Drury, INF/OF, $2MM | Mike Clevinger, RHP, $1.5MM
A few things bear emphasizing. First, this is clearly not a comprehensive list of minor league signings throughout the league — nor is it even a comprehensive list of the listed teams’ non-roster invitees to camp. Secondly, many of these sums are of little consequence to the team. They’re not even guaranteed, after all, and even if a player makes the Opening Day roster and earns the full slate of his minor league salary, most of these salaries aren’t going to carry significant payroll ramifications.
That’s not true across the board, though. For instance, the Rangers are fully intent on remaining under the $241MM luxury tax threshold. At present, RosterResource projects them at $235.7MM of luxury obligations. Opting to select the contract of Buchanan or Chavez rather than allocating those innings to pre-arbitration players who’s being paid at league-minimum levels (or a few thousand dollars north of it) would inch the Rangers’ CBT number forward. They’re not going to hit the tax line even in if they wind up adding multiple NRIs to the actual roster, but selecting their contracts will further narrow the resources president of baseball ops Chris Young will have at his disposal for midseason dealings.
The Red Sox, meanwhile, are effectively seated right at the tax threshold. RosterResource has them with $241.4MM of luxury considerations. Team president Sam Kennedy said after signing Alex Bregman that he expects his team will be a CBT payor in 2025. As things stand, the Sox could duck back under that threshold, but selecting the contract of Moore, Adam Ottavino (also $2MM) or another prominent NRI would further signal ownership’s willingness to return to luxury tax status for the first time since 2022.
There’s probably no getting back under the tax line for the Blue Jays, who currently have a $273.3MM CBT number. However, the front office would presumably like to avoid reaching $281MM in tax obligations, as that’s the point at which Toronto’s top pick in the 2026 draft would be dropped by ten spots. In-season trades will have more of an effect on their tax number than decisions on NRIs like Barnes, Yarbrough, Eric Lauer and others, but it bears mentioning that the Blue Jays are around $8MM shy of what many clubs consider to be the most detrimental impact of straying to deep into CBT waters.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Starter
The Diamondbacks are in agreement with Brandon Bielak on a minor league contract, reports Ari Alexander of KPRC 2. Bielak elected minor league free agency after being waived by the A’s late last fall.
Bielak has pitched in parts of five MLB seasons as a swingman. He spent the first four-plus years with the Astros, a tenure highlighted by his 3.83 ERA across a career-high 80 innings in 2023. Houston carried the out-of-options righty in their bullpen early last year. He struggled to a 5.71 ERA in 10 appearances, leading the Astros to designate him for assignment. They dealt him to the A’s in a cash trade a few days later.
The A’s only kept Bielak on their roster for nine days. They designated him for assignment themselves and ran him through outright waivers. He stuck with the club in Triple-A, where he allowed over six earned runs per nine in 66 2/3 innings. The A’s brought him back up for a couple weeks in September. He concluded the year with a 5.16 ERA with a well below-average 16.4% strikeout percentage over 29 2/3 MLB frames.
Bielak hasn’t missed many bats in the majors. He has an average 22.5% strikeout rate with a 4.42 ERA in parts of five Triple-A campaigns. He’s versatile enough to work as rotation or long relief depth. Arizona’s rotation is deep, so Bielak’s better path to a roster spot is in the bullpen. Barring a late-offseason trade, Jordan Montgomery is likely to begin the year as the long man for skipper Torey Lovullo.
Bielak has pitched in parts of five MLB seasons as a swingman. He spent the first four-plus years with the Astros, a tenure highlighted by his 3.83 ERA across a career-high 80 innings in 2023. Houston carried the out-of-options righty in their bullpen early last year. He struggled to a 5.71 ERA in 10 appearances, leading the Astros to designate him for assignment. They dealt him to the A’s in a cash trade a few days later.
The A’s only kept Bielak on their roster for nine days. They designated him for assignment themselves and ran him through outright waivers. He stuck with the club in Triple-A, where he allowed over six earned runs per nine in 66 2/3 innings. The A’s brought him back up for a couple weeks in September. He concluded the year with a 5.16 ERA with a well below-average 16.4% strikeout percentage over 29 2/3 MLB frames.
Bielak hasn’t missed many bats in the majors. He has an average 22.5% strikeout rate with a 4.42 ERA in parts of five Triple-A campaigns. He’s versatile enough to work as rotation or long relief depth. Arizona’s rotation is deep, so Bielak’s better path to a roster spot is in the bullpen. Barring a late-offseason trade, Jordan Montgomery is likely to begin the year as the long man for skipper Torey Lovullo.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Starter
The Marlins announced that they have claimed right-hander Seth Martinez off waivers from the Diamondbacks. The latter club had designated him for assignment earlier this week. To open a roster spot, the Marlins transferred right-hander Eury Pérez to the 60-day injured list. Pérez is recovering from Tommy John surgery and isn’t expected back until around the All-Star break.
It’s the second waiver claim of the offseason for the 30-year-old Martinez. The Astros put him on waivers at the start of November, just as the offseason was getting going. The Snakes claimed him and kept him for a few months, but he got nudged off their roster when they signed Kendall Graveman a few days ago.
His entire big league track record has been with the Astros thus far. That club added him to their roster late in 2021. He got a cup-of-coffee MLB debut that year, then spent the past three seasons as an up-and-down depth arm for Houston. From his initial selection to the 40-man until being put on waivers, the Astros optioned him 12 times.
In between those trips to Sugar Land, he threw 137 1/3 major league innings for the Astros, allowing 3.93 earned runs per nine. He struck out 20.7% of opponents and gave out walks 9.2% of the time, marks just a bit worse than league average.
His minor league numbers have been a bit more intriguing. He logged 105 innings on the farm over the past four years with a 2.66 ERA. His 10% walk rate in that sample was still a tad high but he paired it with a strong 31.5% strikeout rate.
However, he exhausted his final option year in 2024, meaning he could no longer be freely shuttled to Triple-A and back. That’s why he has twice been put on waivers in the past few months and why he has been claimed today.
The Astros and Diamondbacks are clubs with competitive aspirations, so keeping Martinez in a big league spot would be a bit more tricky. The Marlins should find it far easier, however. As part of their rebuild, they have aggressively sent out players with big league experience, with the bullpen being no exception. Tanner Scott, A.J. Puk, Bryan Hoeing, Huascar Brazobán and JT Chargois were traded at last year’s deadline. Anthony Bender is now the only reliever on the roster with even three years of big league experience.
Before this move, Andrew Nardi was the only other guy over the two-year service mark, but Martinez now joins him in that camp. Though he’s out of options, Martinez could hang onto a spot in Miami’s bullpen if he’s pitching semi-effectively, given the lack of proven options. Most of the other guys in the relief mix are optionable. He should get a chance to post numbers more in line with his minor league track record. If he holds a spot all season, he can theoretically be retained via arbitration through 2028.
It’s the second waiver claim of the offseason for the 30-year-old Martinez. The Astros put him on waivers at the start of November, just as the offseason was getting going. The Snakes claimed him and kept him for a few months, but he got nudged off their roster when they signed Kendall Graveman a few days ago.
His entire big league track record has been with the Astros thus far. That club added him to their roster late in 2021. He got a cup-of-coffee MLB debut that year, then spent the past three seasons as an up-and-down depth arm for Houston. From his initial selection to the 40-man until being put on waivers, the Astros optioned him 12 times.
In between those trips to Sugar Land, he threw 137 1/3 major league innings for the Astros, allowing 3.93 earned runs per nine. He struck out 20.7% of opponents and gave out walks 9.2% of the time, marks just a bit worse than league average.
His minor league numbers have been a bit more intriguing. He logged 105 innings on the farm over the past four years with a 2.66 ERA. His 10% walk rate in that sample was still a tad high but he paired it with a strong 31.5% strikeout rate.
However, he exhausted his final option year in 2024, meaning he could no longer be freely shuttled to Triple-A and back. That’s why he has twice been put on waivers in the past few months and why he has been claimed today.
The Astros and Diamondbacks are clubs with competitive aspirations, so keeping Martinez in a big league spot would be a bit more tricky. The Marlins should find it far easier, however. As part of their rebuild, they have aggressively sent out players with big league experience, with the bullpen being no exception. Tanner Scott, A.J. Puk, Bryan Hoeing, Huascar Brazobán and JT Chargois were traded at last year’s deadline. Anthony Bender is now the only reliever on the roster with even three years of big league experience.
Before this move, Andrew Nardi was the only other guy over the two-year service mark, but Martinez now joins him in that camp. Though he’s out of options, Martinez could hang onto a spot in Miami’s bullpen if he’s pitching semi-effectively, given the lack of proven options. Most of the other guys in the relief mix are optionable. He should get a chance to post numbers more in line with his minor league track record. If he holds a spot all season, he can theoretically be retained via arbitration through 2028.
Arizona Diamondbacks
Starter
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
Check out our past episodes!
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Red Sox signing Alex Bregman (1:15)
- The Tigers just missing on Bregman (9:35)
- The Cardinals seemingly holding onto Nolan Arenado (12:15)
- The Padres signing Nick Pivetta and Kyle Hart (17:40)
- The Blue Jays not getting an extension done with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (20:50)
- The Diamondbacks extending Geraldo Perdomo (31:30)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- The Twins had a quiet offseason but projection systems have them winning the division. Are they the best team in the AL Central? (38:25)
- Why did the Giants have a quiet offseason apart from Willy Adames and Justin Verlander? Was it ownership reluctance or Buster Posey’s conservative stance? (42:25)
Check out our past episodes!
- Pete Alonso’s Deal, And Potential Landing Spots For Bregman and Arenado – listen here
- Jack Flaherty Back To Detroit, Max Scherzer, And What’s Next For The Padres – listen here
- Ryan Pressly To The Cubs, Bregman’s Future, And Jurickson Profar – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Arizona Diamondbacks
Starter
Diamondbacks right-hander Kendall Graveman has been battling some back tightness in camp and still hasn’t appeared in a Spring Training game. Manager Torey Lovullo tells Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports that the issue cropped up again yesterday after throwing live batting practice. Weiner relays that Graveman appears to be questionable for Opening Day.
The Snakes signed Graveman to a one-year, $1.35MM deal less than a month ago. The modest price is a reflection of the fact that Graveman missed the 2024 season recovering from shoulder surgery. The D’Backs have made a modest bet that he could bounce back to his pre-surgery form. From 2021 to 2023, he tossed 187 1/3 relief innings with a 2.74 earned run average, 24.5% strikeout rate, 10.4% walk rate and 48.9% ground ball rate.
If healthy, Graveman would be one of the club’s key leverage relievers, alongside guys like A.J. Puk, Kevin Ginkel and Justin Martínez. This back issue doesn’t seem to be a major concern but isn’t the ideal way for him to start down the comeback trail. Opening Day is still two weeks away, which gives him some time, but it will be a situation to watch for the Diamondbacks and their fans.
More notes from around the National League West…
The Snakes signed Graveman to a one-year, $1.35MM deal less than a month ago. The modest price is a reflection of the fact that Graveman missed the 2024 season recovering from shoulder surgery. The D’Backs have made a modest bet that he could bounce back to his pre-surgery form. From 2021 to 2023, he tossed 187 1/3 relief innings with a 2.74 earned run average, 24.5% strikeout rate, 10.4% walk rate and 48.9% ground ball rate.
If healthy, Graveman would be one of the club’s key leverage relievers, alongside guys like A.J. Puk, Kevin Ginkel and Justin Martínez. This back issue doesn’t seem to be a major concern but isn’t the ideal way for him to start down the comeback trail. Opening Day is still two weeks away, which gives him some time, but it will be a situation to watch for the Diamondbacks and their fans.
More notes from around the National League West…
- John Seidler is now officially the control person of the Padres, reports Dennis Lin of The Athletic. The brother of the later Peter Seidler, John was approved by the league as control person over a month ago. Despite the league approval, it was noted at that time that the transfer would not become official until all the paperwork was complete on John becoming the trustee of Peter’s trust. Lin relays that the process with the trust is now complete, making John the official control person. After Peter’s death, the duties of control person were handled by his previous business partner Eric Kutsenda on an interim basis. There is an ongoing legal dispute over control of the club in the wake of Peter’s passing, with his widow Sheel filing suit against his brothers.
- Giants catcher Tom Murphy continues to be on the shelf. The club informed reporters, including Justice delos Santos of The Mercury News, that Murphy would require another epidural injection this week. He’ll be doing rehab only for the next two weeks, meaning no baseball activities. That makes him a lock for the injured list to start the season. That’s not a shock, since it was reported in late February that he has a herniated disc in his mid-back area and would be getting an epidural injection that would sideline him for weeks. He’s now getting a second shot and is still not close. Murphy has flashed a potent bat in his career but injuries have often stood in the way. He has nine MLB seasons but only appeared in 50 or more games in two of those. The Giants have Patrick Bailey as their primary catcher. With Murphy out, the backup job could fall to Sam Huff. Non-roster options in camp include Logan Porter and Max Stassi.