In case you missed the early morning news, the Arizona Diamondbacks have pulled off the rare “trade away your player and re-sign him in the offseason” move with Merrill Kelly.
Let’s start there today.
When the Diamondbacks traded Kelly to the Rangers this July, they landed Kohl Drake (#6 prospect in the D-Backs system), Mitch Bratt (#9), and David Hagaman (#15), a tidy sum for a 36-year-old rental starter. And now they get him back, albeit at a very substantial $20M per year for tw...
Reports: Merrill Kelly, Diamondbacks agree to 2-year, $40M deal https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/47302930/reports-merrill-kelly-diamondbacks-agree-2-year-40m-deal Arizona Diamondbacks, Merrill Kelly on verge of reunion https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2025/12/14/merrill-kelly-contract-diamondbacks/87762366007/ James will have Merrill Kelly’s review on January 3rd. Ketel Marte to play in World Baseball Classic for Dominican Republic https://arizonasports.com/mlb/arizon...
Overview Background and Peak Expectations Alek Thomas burst onto the prospect scene with a standout 2021 minor league season (.313 AVG, 18 HR, .953 OPS) while showcasing elite center field defense. Entering 2022, MLB.com ranked him as the Diamondbacks’ top prospect and No. 18 overall—ahead of future stars like Corbin Carroll and Elly de la […]
There are times where I have to wait until the last minute possible to write up the winner, because it is not clear who it is going to be. This was not one of those times. The victor always seemed likely, though I do have to feel for Brandon Pfaadt, whose “incomplete game shutout” would […]
Today, the Arizona Diamondbacks made official the free-agent signing of pitcher Michael Soroka, who is expected to become part of the Opening Day rotation for the team. To make room for the player on the 40-man roster, Arizona designated pitcher Bryce Jarvis for assignment. GM Mike Hazen spoke to the media this afternoon, explaining what […]
Overview 2025 review I was a little surprised to realize Morillo appeared in as many as forty-two games for the D-backs this year. Only Jalen Beeks and Ryan Thompson pitched more often, and Juan took the mound more often than many more well-known names. It may be because he didn’t see very many high-leverage situations: […]
When Luke Weaver joined the Yankees in September of 2023, it was with the lowest of expectations. The former first-rounder and top-50 prospect never fulfilled that pedigree with the Cardinals, who shipped him off to the Diamondbacks as part of a package to acquire Paul Goldschmidt after the 2018 campaign. In his first year with […]
The Winter Meetings have wrapped up, and the Rays are one of the busiest teams in baseball, having already signed three free agents to big league deals, and now they find themselves in trade talks with the Arizona Diamondbacks over star second baseman Ketel Marte. This doesn’t feel like a normal Rays offseason! In the […]
Overview Rating: 4.98 2025 stats: 74 games, 225 PAs, 8 doubles, 7 home runs, no triples, 18 RBI and 8-2 in SB attempts. He slashed .201/.274/.347 with an OPS of .620 and OPS+ of 71. He had 64 Ks, to 20walks. Date of birth: April 7th, 1999 2025 salary: Pre-arb 2025 status: He is on the 40 man roster, […]
Overview 2025 Review A successful bullpen needs a variety of not just velocity, but also arm angle, pitch selection, and pitch movement. That’s where pitchers like Kyle Backhus come into the picture. He’s a prototypical pitcher who likely would never have found success at the major league level in a pre-Moneyball era. There’s even a […]
Diamondbacks News Jake Lamb Returns to Arizona as Player Development StafferFormer Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jake Lamb is set to join the franchise’s player development staff, according to a report by MLB’s Steve Gilbert on Monday. Diamondbacks Land 15th Pick in MLB Draft LotteryTwo division rivals will select ahead of Arizona in July. Diamondbacks Receiving […]
Good news, everybody, the Red Sox are totally in on Ketel Marte! Except maybe they’re not: The Sox have also checked in with the Diamondbacks — a team in need of rotation help — about the availability of star second baseman Ketel Marte, though one industry source downplayed the team’s pursuit of Marte, suggesting other […]
Overview Voting overview 2025 review John Curtiss has had a journeyman career in Major League Baseball. Drafted back in 2014 out of the University of Texas by the Minnesota Twins, he has pitched in the Majors in 8 seasons and has been a part of 9 different organizations. Coming off a 2024 season in which […]
Diamondbacks News Diamondbacks Sign Michael Soroka to Bolster 2026 Rotation by Michael McDermott [Dbacks Under Review] While it was pretty obvious upon signing, Arizona Sports insider John Gambadoro reported that Soroka will join the rotation. The signing simply improves the floor of their rotation, rather than their ceiling. He profiles more as a No. 4/5 starter […]
Overview Optimism about the Eduardo Rodriguez acquisition. When he was acquired prior to the 2024 season, I listed four reasons to be optimistic in this AZ Snake Pit article. After the disappointing 2024 season, hopes were high that Eduardo Rodriguez could bounce back to his career norms. “Given the three guaranteed years still on his […]
The first significant move by the D-backs dropped this morning. Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers were first to report that the Arizona Diamondbacks have filled one of the holes in their rotation by signing Michael Soroka to a one-year deal. It’s worth $7.5 million, but there are incentives which could potentially add another $2 million […]
Michael Soroka, we hardly knew ye.
Acquired by the Cubs at the Trade Deadline and then injured immediately thereafter, Soroka didn’t get much of a chance to make an impression on us. Still, from what I saw of the stuff, it was really easy to dream. And really easy to want to see the Cubs take a flier on bringing back such a live arm, with the flexibility to pitch out of the rotation or the bullpen.
But it’s not happening, as Soroka, who is still only 28, is signing another one-year d...
Team news [Arizona Sports] Report: Red Sox, Rays, Tigers have checked in with Diamondbacks on Ketel Marte – USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported on Sunday three new teams have joined the group interested in trading for the three-time All Star: the Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays and Detroit Tigers. Nightengale reported that Marte could […]
Braves Franchise History 1928 – The Cardinals sell veteran SS Rabbit Maranville to the Braves. 1987 – Atlanta trades shortstop Rafael Ramirez to the Astros for a pair of minor leaguers. 2001 – The Braves sign infielder Vinny Castilla also to a two-year contract. 2005 – The Braves acquire shortstop Edgar Renteria from the Boston […]
Overview 2025 Review Brandyn Garcia began the season in the Seattle Mariners system at the AA level where he dominated striking out 33 batters in 25 innings before earning a promotion to Tacoma the Mariners AAA affiliate. He continued to be effective there as well before earning a big league promotion on 7/21. Garcia quickly […]
You know how I said there were certain categories which might be a formality? Well, I’ve a feeling this might be one of them – or, at the very least, be a two-horse race. For there was one hitting and one pitching performance, which were both head and shoulders above the rest. Still, there’s a […]
Team News What’s on tap for D-backs at Winter Meetings?“I know the deals that get done at the Meetings are splashier, because there are more people around paying attention to it,” Hazen said. “I think, in reality, the majority of all the work that you’re going to get done for the offseason, a lot of […]
The Diamondbacks’ front office arrive at the winter meetings in Florida with a lot of work to do between now and Opening Day. So far, the only significant arrival on the roster has been the return of backup catcher James McCann. The team still needs to look at finding replacements for two starting pitchers; repair […]
I think I would have looked at you very strangely, if you’d told me at the start of the year, that the two best plays would be made by Blaze Alexander in the outfield, and Ryne Nelson at the plate. Yet, here we are, with the results of the first SnakePit award of the season […]
Zac Gallen’s Growing Market Benefits DiamondbacksIt is looking increasingly likely that Zac Gallen will easily clear the $50 million total contract value. Should he do so, Arizona will get the maximum allowable compensation in next season’s draft. MLB Winter Meetings: Intel from Passan and OlneyWhat are some of the biggest names in coverage of the […]