Revisiting Diamondbacks offseason moves: Suarez trade, Pederson signing pay off

Revisiting the Arizona Diamondbacks’ offseason moves at the halfway point of 2024 and following an 89-win season are different experiences.

Big-ticket free agent pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez had not even thrown a pitch yet, while third baseman Eugenio Suarez struggled to get off the ground before a huge second-half turnaround.

The Diamondbacks once again enter a critical winter for their contending window as they look to step into the 90s for wins and ensure a postseason spot next year. Christian Walker is their top free agent, but there are several option decisions and potential upgrades to make, namely to the bullpen.

“I think the base of this team is a very good baseball team,” general manager Mike Hazen said last week. “I think the team that’s walking out of here is a very good baseball team, unfortunately, without the ability to say that they were a playoff team, and that hurts. But I do think, from a talent perspective, this was a good baseball team and it will be moving forward.”

Arizona had a very busy offseason a year ago, building off the excitement of a World Series run with the mindset of improving an 84-win team. As the postseason continues before the stove heats up, let’s revisit moves that aided or held back the D-backs in 2024.

Diamondbacks offseason revisited

Eugenio Suarez trade

Less than a month after losing Game 5 of the World Series, the D-backs made one of the biggest splashes of the early offseason by trading backup catcher Seby Zavala and relief pitching project Carlos Vargas for Suarez, a nine-year MLB veteran who hit 20-plus home runs every year since 2016 except for 2020. Suarez came off a down year by his standards in Seattle (.714 OPS), and the D-backs bet on the pedigree to bolster a lineup in need of more pop.

Suarez took hold of the everyday third base role after Emmanuel Rivera, Jace Peterson and Evan Longoria held down the hot corner in 2023. Longoria started most postseason games but did not play in 2024. Rivera was designated for assignment out of spring training and Peterson was cut before the end of April.

The D-backs ranked 27th in third base OPS in 2023 at .641 and jumped to fourth at .775 in 2024 with Suarez taking 630 of 662 plate appearances.

It took a while, as Suarez had a .586 OPS back on June 26 with six home runs. For the rest of the year, 81 games, he put up a .966 OPS with 24 home runs to finish the campaign with 30 bombs and 101 RBIs. The D-backs can retain Suarez for 2025 via a $15 million club option for the 33-year-old.

Zavala was designated for assignment three times in Seattle, while Vargas did not pitch in the majors.

One year later: The D-backs traded very little in terms of 2024 value for a player with two years of control who dominated the second half offensively, proved himself as a valuable clubhouse presence and may stick around.

Diamondbacks shell out for Eduardo Rodriguez

Rodriguez agreed to a four-year, $80 million contract through 2027 with a vesting option for 2028. Hazen regretted not adding to the rotation at the deadline in 2023, and addressing the starting pitching was an obvious need that the front office attacked with two big contracts, starting with Rodriguez.

The D-backs did not get to see what they had in Rodriguez early, as he suffered a shoulder strain and had to deal with a setback that knocked him out until August.

The left-hander made 10 starts down the stretch with a 5.04 ERA (4.57 FIP), and the D-back went 5-5 in his outings.

One year later: It’s hard to judge Year 1 for Rodriguez with the missed time, although he started to look more effective in his final four starts (3.92 ERA). He will be a key member of this rotation going forward, especially given the statuses of Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, who both have one more year of team control.

Diamondbacks bring back Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

The most notable player hitting free agency for the Diamondbacks after 2023 was Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who came to Arizona with Gabriel Moreno from Toronto for Daulton Varsho.

Gurriel signed a three-year deal worth $42 million with an opt-out after the 2025 season and a club option for 2027.

Gurriel had an inconsistent season offensively but finished with strong numbers (.757 OPS, 18 home runs). His bat silenced in May, but he turned it on over the second half minus a nearly three-week stretch down with a calf injury.

One year later: Gurriel has been a valuable middle-of-the-order bat over the past two seasons and should continue to raise the floor of this offense in 2025.

Kevin Newman earns a chance

The D-backs extended a minor league contract with a spring training invite to veteran infielder and Arizona Wildcats alum Kevin Newman.

Newman was not a standout in spring training games nor did not make the team out of camp. But the D-backs quickly needed Newman, as shortstop Geraldo Perdomo suffered a torn meniscus a week into the season.

Newman stuck around all year, even after Perdomo returned, and he played 111 games with 2.2 bWAR and a .686 OPS.

One year later: The Diamondbacks ended up really needing a steady presence at shortstop for the first half, and Newman proved himself in that role. Whether he returns for 2025 may be where top prospect and shortstop Jordan Lawlar’s readiness enters the discussion, as well as the growth of Blaze Alexander.

Joc Pederson brings the pop

The D-backs still needed some punch from the left side, and in late January Joc Pederson signed a one-year, $12.5 million deal with a $14 million mutual option for 2025.

Pederson excelled in his role as the designated hitter against right-handed pitchers, clubbing 23 home runs with a career-high .908 OPS in 449 plate appearances.

He and his right-handed counterpart Randal Grichuk helped jolt the designated hitter position for Arizona in its first season with set DHs.

One year later: Giving a short-term deal with a veteran who has always hit righties hard paid dividends, and Pederson said he enjoyed his time in Arizona. Did he price himself out of coming back?

Randal Grichuk the final piece for Diamondbacks’ offense

The Diamondbacks had already reported to camp, but getting one more right-handed bat in the mix was prioritized. Grichuk was coming off a solid season and had hit lefties very well throughout his career, thus creating an ideal pairing with Pederson on paper.

It worked out, as Grichuk, who also played plenty of outfield in 2024, worked an .875 OPS with 12 home runs in 279 plate appearances. He was remarkably good in September, hitting .404 with seven homers in 21 games.

Grichuk signed a one-year, $2 million deal with a $6 million mutual option for 2025.

One year later: Getting a veteran lefty-killer on a cheap short-term deal worked wonders for the D-backs’ offense, although Grichuk likely played himself out of that option’s price range.

Jordan Montgomery becomes a late x-factor

The Diamondbacks took advantage when a veteran pitcher coming off a heroic postseason remained unsigned at the end of spring training.

Arizona locked down Jordan Montgomery to a one-year, $25 million deal with a vesting player option for 2025 currently at $22.5 million.

The intention was to solidify one of the game’s best starting rotations, which never came to fruition, leading to the dismissal of pitching coach Brent Strom and team owner Ken Kendrick taking the blame instead of credit for Montgomery’s addition.

Montgomery put up the worst season of his big league career with a 6.23 ERA and lost his rotation spot. With so many injuries to Arizona’s pitching staff, the club really could have used league-average production from the most expensive player on the team. The D-backs still went 12-9 in his starts with the amount of run support given.

One year later: For whatever reason, signing Montgomery did not work, but his story may not be over in Arizona. If he opts in, he is only one season removed from being considered a dependable arm, someone who Hazen said he believed would be better in 2025.

Minor league moves

– The D-backs continued to leverage their surplus of left-handed outfielders by dealing Dominic Fletcher to the Chicago White Sox for right-handed pitching prospect Cristian Mena. Mena only made one MLB start, but he produced a 4.61 ERA in 19 starts with Triple-A Reno at just 21 years old before injury ended his campaign. Fletcher, meanwhile, had a tough year for the 41-121 White Sox with a .508 OPS and one homer in 72 games.

– Arizona protected pitcher Blake Walston from the Rule 5 Draft but not power hitter Deyvison De Los Santos, who was taken by the Cleveland Guardians. Fortunately for the D-backs, De Los Santos did not make Cleveland’s roster, and thus he was returned. De Los Santos was later dealt in a prospect package to Miami for shut-down reliever A.J. Puk.

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