Arizona Diamondbacks 2024 Player Review: Kevin Newman

The veteran infielder emerged as a quality utilityman for the D-backs in 2024.

Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Kevin Newman (18) celebrates after hitting a single on Aug. 30, 2024 at Chase Field in Phoenix. / Owen Ziliak/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

This article is part of a series chronicling the individual seasons of players who appeared for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024.

Reviews for players who still have rookie eligibility for 2025 will appear in our prospect season reviews. Players are presented in the reverse order of their aWAR, an average of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs WAR.

INF Kevin Newman

2024 Contract status: one year, $1,000,000, prorated $946,237 for time on MLB roster

Kevin Newman 2024 and career statistics / Alex D'Agostino | Diamondbacks On SI

The Diamondbacks took a flyer on former Arizona Wildcat and veteran shortstop Kevin Newman ahead of Spring Training, signing the right-handed hitter to a minor league deal at December's conclusion.

Newman was invited to Spring Training, but failed to make the Opening Day roster, and opted out of his deal with the D-backs. He was granted his release from the Reno Aces on March 27, but immediately inked a new minor league deal, remaining with the organization.

When starting shortstop Geraldo Perdomo went down in early April with a meniscus tear in his right knee , the D-backs called upon Newman to provide depth. With infielder Jace Peterson's struggles at the plate, Newman quickly stepped into a role closer to everyday shortstop.

His first month at the plate was a bit difficult, slashing just .157/.189/.314 with a pair of homers. His glove played solidly at shortstop, but he didn't appear to be a major contributor to Arizona's offense.

But in May, his bat began to surge. Riding a trio of multi-hit games, Newman put forward his best showing yet on May 13, going 4-for-5, including two doubles and a walk-off single as the D-backs defeated the Cincinnati Reds (Newman's former club) in thrilling fashion.

He continued to put up quality at-bats while playing solid defense, slashing .312/.346/.416 in May. That success ended up sustaining through June, where he hit .356, despite the return of Perdomo.

Newman continued to get a solid chunk of playing time, spelling Perdomo at shortstop, and playing second base on occasion as well, especially after All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte went down with an injury in August.

Newman wasn't exactly an RBI machine, and didn't hit for significant power, but he was able to work patient at-bats consistently, and continued to hit for average and get on base. He finished his season with a respectable .278/.311/.375 slash over 311 plate appearances.

While he wasn't the cause of a great deal of production, with a .686 OPS and 91 OPS+ (9% below average), Newman provided quality at-bats consistently, and played solid defense in relief of both Perdomo and Marte.

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At shortstop and second base, Newman put up .983 and .992 respective fielding percentages, and was worth a total of +10 Defensive Runs Saved , along with +6 Outs Above Average (91st percentile) per Baseball Savant.

While it wasn't the most eye-popping season, and the infielder split playing with with a variety of teammates, he was consistent in his steadiness both at the plate and on defense, and served as an excellent veteran depth piece for MLB's best offense and near-best defense.

2025 Outlook

2025 Contract Status: Free Agent

Newman has elected free agency. With a year of solid, yet not shocking play, he could be in line to sign a contract with an infield-needy team. His 2024 season was arguably his best year since 2019, and the veteran did seem to hit his stride with the Diamondbacks, albeit in a more limited role.

With the D-backs still handling a slew of contract questions, mainly hinging on first baseman Christian Walker's potential departure, Arizona could have limited resources to work with before exceeding 2024's payroll.

A reunion with Newman is certainly not out of the question. He played well in his platoon role, and seemed to be a calming, steady presence on the field. As a depth piece, and a quality at-bat coming off the bench, a return might be a good fit for both parties, though it does seem likely he'll seek an opportunity elsewhere.

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