Previewing the Diamondbacks Checklist at the Winter Meetings

As Mike Hazen and his baseball operations crew arrive in Dallas, here is the rundown of things to do at the meetings and during the offseason

Nov 8, 2023; Scottsdale, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen speaks to the media during the MLB General Manager's Meetings at Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Arizona Diamondbacks head to the winter meetings in Dallas Texas starting today with all of their offseason checklist still left to do. Here is a list of the major things the team hopes to accomplish at the meetings or shortly after.

◻︎ Fill First Base

With the departure of Christian Walker into free agency, the Diamondbacks have a big hole both in their lineup and on the infield dirt. The three time Gold Glover has a been a rock for the rest of the infield since taking over the position full time in 2019.

He's also been a source of prodigious power and run production, averaging 32 homers and 95 RBI over the last three seasons.

The D-backs made a qualifying offer of $21 million, which was rejected as expected. Estimates for Walker's free agent contract length generally come in at three years with a range of $17 to $23 million average annual. That is a steep price to pay for a player who will be entering his age 34 season.

Barring a drop in his market, which could still happen, the D-backs will be forced to move on. They have the option to go with Pavin Smith as the primary first baseman in 2025. But that would require the team to pick up a right handed hitter who is first base capable to compliment him, as Smith has never hit left-hand pitching well.

◻︎ Find a New Left-Hand DH

Joc Pederson was the primary DH from the left side in 2024, and had one of the best seasons of his career, batting .275/.393/.515 with 23 homers and 64 RBI in 449 PA. Largely protected from facing left-hand pitching, the .908 OPS was the highest of his career.

He declined to exercise his end of a $14 million dollar mutual option and is also a free agent. The Diamondbacks would like to bring him back, but it's unclear at this time just how robust Pederson's market is, and what that cost would be.

In the event the Diamondbacks are unable to bring Pederson back or find a suitable replacement on the market, they could opt to have Smith fill the left-hand DH role, or even give some of those at-bats to Adrian Del Castillo. If they go that route, then they must find a full time first baseman of course.

◻︎Add a Right-Hand Outfield/DH Option

Randal Grichuk filled this role with great success in 2024, batting .291/.348/.528. .875 OPS with 12 homers in 279 PA. Grichuk actually received a lot more of his PA while playing outfield. He came to bat 175 times while playing in the outfield, compared to just 65 times while in the DH slot. He also had 39 pinch hit appearances.

He too turned down his player end of a mutual option worth $6 million for 2025 and is a free agent that must be either brought back or replaced.

Of the six players listed on the team's outfield section of the 40-man roster, the only right-handed hitter is Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Thus there is a clear need to replace Grichuk. Furthermore the minor league organizational outfield depth from the right side does not provide any viable, major league ready options.

◻︎Bolster the Bullpen with a High Leverage Reliever

Mike Hazen has the stated goal to add a high leverage reliever to the bullpen. Whether that is a true closer, or another strong set up type reliever remains to be seen. The team has a solid core in Justin Martinez, A.J. Puk, Kevin Ginkel, Ryan Thompson, and Joe Mantiply. Adding one more dominant reliever to that mix won't be cheap, but could be transformative for the D-backs' pitching staff.

◻︎ Evaluate and Package Trade Capital

Hazen has indicated that the team has received a lot of interest in the trade market on its starting pitching and outfield depth. The team currently has six starting pitchers, including Zac Gallen, Brandon Pfaadt, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez, Ryne Nelson, and Jordan Montgomery. Depth options beyond that include top 10 prospects Yliber Diaz and Yu-Min Lin.

The D-backs would most like to move Montgomery and the lions share of his $22.5 million contract, thus freeing up capital to use on the free agent market. But his market has been developing slowly, and it may take a while before things shake out enough for the D-backs to obtain an offer with sufficient salary relief to make moving him worthwhile.

In the outfield, the two main trade targets are likely Jake McCarthy and Alek Thomas. Both are left-handed speedy outfielders, with multiple years of control remaining.The D-backs could possibly trade one of them to address one of the needs listed above.

Throughout the offseason we have been presenting comprehensive analysis of the players that might be good fits for the Diamondbacks to pursue. You can find those articles at the link below.

Related Content: Diamondbacks 2024-25 Offseason Primer and Links Hub

◻︎Rule 5 Draft

The Rule 5 draft takes place on December 11, the last day of the meetings. While the D-backs are not expected to take anyone in the Major League portion of the draft, they might lose a player or two. Jake Oliver gave a rundown of Rule 5 eligible players that were not added to the 40-man roster this year, and thus at risk of being taken.

◻︎Draft Lottery

MLB will hold the Draft Lottery for the third time in history on December 10. As things stand now, the D-backs are slated to have the 18th pick in the 2025 amateur draft. The odds of Arizona capturing the first overall pick are 0.27%, or virtually nonexistent. Last year the Cleveland Guardians had a 2% chance of winning the lottery, and they did, gaining the first overall pick.

While the D-backs' chances at the first pick are remote, there is still a decent chance they could move up in the draft order a few slots. It's notable that in 2024 the Cincinnati Reds moved from number 13 to number 2.