Merry Christmas, Pitters!
First, make sure to nominate your D-backs Unsung Hero! Now, on with the news…
Diamondbacks News
Potential D-backs Free Agency Target: Tanner Scott by Alex D’Agostino [SI]
One of the more coveted relief arms on the free agent market is former Padres reliever Tanner Scott. Scott, a left-hander, might be the crown jewel this off-season. His sparkling ERA and peripherals will certainly command a large salary, but his high-leverage ability cannot be denied.
Josh Naylor’s Path to the Arizona Diamondbacks by Aaron Hughes [SI]
The Arizona Diamondbacks swooped in and made a deal for the 27-year-old lefty, bringing him to the valley where he will join one of the best offenses in baseball. He will play a big role in the club’s playoff push in 2025, as they try to capitalize on their window of contention.
Diamondbacks offseason roster moves tracker: Josh Naylor jumps in, Joc Pederson heads out by Alex Weiner [Arizona Sports]
Hazen mentioned the team has had trade offers “all over the place” this offseason, still has an eye on the lineup and wants to add to the bullpen. With more activity coming, let’s keep track of the running list of Diamondbacks moves made and players lost:
Around the League
Rangers Met with Roki Sasaki, Giantes “Believed To Have Met” With Sasaki As Well by Leo Morgenstern [MLB Trade Rumors]
Ultimately, we still know very little about what Sasaki’s thinking or where he might end up. The Dodgers and, to a lesser extent, the Padres are frequently cited as the front-runners to sign him, but it’s not for nothing that he has met with so many other teams. (Nor is it clear if he has met with either the Dodgers or Padres yet.) Slusser identifies the Diamondbacks as another NL West suitor for his services, though it’s unclear if he has met with anyone from the team. Meanwhile, the Phillies are the only club we know for certain has not met with Sasaki. Last week, POBO Dave Dombrowski revealed that although the Phillies would love to speak with Sasaki, they have not been invited to do so.
Revisit one signature win from each MLB team in 2024 [MLB]
D-backs: Carroll’s pinch-hit, walk-off homer caps comeback vs. Nats, July 29 — The night got off to a bad start for the D-backs with Jordan Montgomery giving up six runs in the first two innings to put Arizona in a deep hole. The D-backs would chip away at the lead in the middle innings, but heading into the bottom of the ninth, they faced an 8-4 deficit and the Nats had closer Kyle Finnegan on the mound. Alek Thomas tripled to lead off the inning and after Geraldo Perdomo singled him home, Ketel Marte homered to pull the D-backs to within a run at 8-7. One out later, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. managed a single and Corbin Carroll was sent to the plate as a pinch-hitter and launched a homer into the bleachers in right to give Arizona a walk-off win. That was the start of 20 wins in a span of 25 games that put the D-backs in the Wild Card chase. — Steve Gilbert
Astros Get Early Christian-mas Present by Michael Baumann [FanGraphs]
Paying $20 million a year over three seasons for a 34-year-old seems like a risk. But no contender had a greater need at a single position than the Astros did at first base. Walker rated as the second-best free agent first baseman, behind Pete Alonso, and over the next three seasons, I bet the difference between the two will be smaller than you’d think.
Rangers add powerful and charismatic bat to their lineup after trading Nathaniel Lowe by Steven Teal [Call to the Pen]
An $18.5 million AAV feels like a fairly good bargain for a bat with [Joc Pederson’s] prowess, and this deal seems fair for both sides. If things go well for Pederson, he can opt-out and try to get a better deal next offseason. If they don’t go well, he’s got another opportunity with the Rangers in 2026.
MLB, umpires agree on new 5-year collective bargaining agreement by Jesse Rogers [ESPN]
The new agreement, which marks the fifth straight five-year contract without a labor dispute, means the league is likely to move forward with its plans to test its automated ball-strike system during spring training next year. One of the final steps was working out specifics with the MLBUA.
Question of the Day
Since my last SnakeBytes, Hazen got in on the first basemen carousel and a couple pillars of our 2024 lineup found new homes. Josh Naylor, a powerful, lefty bat (like Joc) who plays first base (not like Christian Walker, but he tries), was brought in. With that…