Corbin Carroll will be in the Diamondbacks’ outfield in 2026. Ketel Marte will play second base. Gabriel Moreno will catch. Other positions are a bit more uncertain.
Following injuries and their fire sale at the deadline, the D-backs will need to decide who they want at first base, at third base, in left field, at designated hitter and in the rotation and bullpen next season.
With the 16th best farm system and only the 13th highest projected payroll in MLB, the Diamondbacks have the ability to fill their roster needs internally, by spending in free agency or by getting lower cost players with high upside.
How will they attack roster revamping for 2026?
Note: Only unrestricted free agents (UFAs) are listed. Players with opt-outs or player, club or mutual options are not listed.
First base
Internal options: Tyler Locklear, Pavin Smith
Top free agents: Josh Naylor, Paul Goldschmidt
Potential bargains: Wilmer Flores, Dominic Smith
Naylor began the season with Arizona, but the Diamondbacks opted to send him Seattle at the deadline. Similar to when Christian Walker left the team, the opening at first could bode well for Smith to get regular playing time.
Smith would most likely find himself in a platoon role with Locklear if Arizona doesn’t want to invest big money into the position.
Locklear was acquired in the Eugenio SuƔrez trade and has hit .169 with five home runs in 148 major league at-bats before he was put on the injured list with an elbow issue. Throughout his minor league career, he has hit .291 with an OPS of .895 in four seasons.
A cheap option with high upside could be to bring Flores back to the desert. Flores played for the D-backs in 2019, when he hit .317 with an .848 OPS in 285 plate appearances.
Third base
Internal options: Blaze Alexander, Jordan Lawlar
Top free agents: Eugenio SuƔrez
Potential bargains: Miguel Andujar, YoƔn Moncada
Barring an Alex Bregman opt-out, SuƔrez will be far and away the top free agent at the hot corner this offseason. The D-backs did not extend SuƔrez prior to the season, though, so a return may be unlikely.
The dry market and youth in the system makes third base the most likely position for the team to seek internal solutions.
Lawlar has been one of Arizona’s top prospects for multiple years, but Alexander has been productive in limited playing time during 2025 with a 107 OPS+. The two young infielders could find themselves fighting for the starting job in spring training.
Left field
Internal options: Jake McCarthy, Blaze Alexander, Jorge Barrosa, Tim Tawa
Top free agents: Kyle Tucker, Trent Grisham
Potential bargains: Starling Marte, Rob Refsnyder
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.’s ACL injury has raised questions not just for next season but his future in Arizona.
Gurriel has a player option for the 2026 season and club option for the 2027 season before becoming a UFA. If the Diamondbacks wanted to, they could sign a long-term outfielder like Grisham and move on from Gurriel following his recovery.
The internal options are filled with uncertainty. McCarthy has shown flashes of great play, hitting .285 in 142 games last season but had to be sent down in April after starting this year hitting .073. Signing Marte or Refsnyder could be ideal if the team wants McCarthy to platoon.
Alexander should find himself on the roster next season, but he only recently started playing the outfield. Even with spring training, he’ll have limited experience by Opening Day. Barrosa is a natural outfielder who has been productive in Reno this season, but he has yet to find his footing in the majors.
Designated hitter
Internal options: Tyler Locklear, Adrian Del Castillo
Top free agents: Kyle Schwarber, Marcell Ozuna, Ryan O’Hearn
Potential bargains: Josh Bell, Andrew McCutchen
Since the implementation of the universal DH in 2022, the Diamondbacks have mostly used the position as a platoon or to ease players back into the lineup following injury. Unless they choose to spend on a top free agent talent, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them utilize the role similarly in 2026.
The talent certainly exists in this year’s DH class, led by Schwarber, who has hit 181 home runs in his four seasons in Philadelphia.
But while it would be fun to see Schwarber hammer homers in the heat, it may be better for the D-backs to spend on more pressing needs this offseason and keep the DH as a rotating spot.
Starting rotation
Internal options: Brandon Pfaadt, Ryne Nelson, Eduardo RodrĆguez, Kohl Drake, Cristian Mena, Bryce Jarvis, Dylan Ray
Top free agents: Merrill Kelly, Framber Valdez, Ranger SuƔrez, Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen
Potential bargains: Tyler Mahle, Tyler Anderson
RodrĆguez, Pfaadt and Nelson should all find themselves in the Opening Day rotation in 2026. That leaves two spots that need to be filled to start the season until Corbin Burnes returns from Tommy John surgery.
Signing an ace-caliber starter to a long-term deal comes with risk. Even without Tommy John surgery, Stephen Strasburg’s injuries limited him to 31.1 innings after signing his seven-year, $245 million contract with the Nationals in 2019. The now-retired starter will still be on the Nationals payroll until 2029.
Sometimes, it’s not even injuries that derail a large contract. As the D-backs know all too well, Madison Bumgarner signed a five-year, $85 million contract prior to the 2020 season. He pitched 363.1 innings with a 5.23 ERA before being designated for assignment during April of his fourth season.
The Diamondbacks may, therefore, choose to spend their money on No. 2 or 3 starters like Mahle or Anderson. The team could possibly bring back Kelly or Gallen, both of whom will be free agents this offseason.
Bullpen
Internal options: Andrew Saalfrank, Taylor Rashi, Kyle Backhus, Juan Burgos, Brandyn Garcia, Kevin Ginkel, Ryan Thompson, Andrew Hoffmann, Drey Jameson, Christian Montes De Oca, Juan Morillo
Top free agents: Kenley Jansen, Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers
Potential bargains: Ryan Brasier, Joey Lucchesi, Jalen Beeks
The Diamondbacks have 27 blown saves this season, tied for the second most in MLB. A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez were two of the team’s top back-end arms prior to their respective injuries, but both will likely miss the first half and could be unavailable for all of 2026.
Arizona has been using a closer-by-committee approach for most of the season. If they choose to continue that approach in 2026, they could avoid paying for a top-tier closer and instead invest in a traditional 8th inning or set-up man like Rogers.
If the D-backs want to invest in multiple relievers, a cheaper option like Lucchesi (3.03 ERA in 32 appearances with San Francisco) or Brasier (4.50 ERA in 28 appearances with the Cubs) could also be something the team looks into.
from Arizona Sports https://ift.tt/aVjfczH
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