Zach Davies Intends to Opt Out of Contract in 2023

Davies will be hitting the free agent market after declining his half of a $1.75 million mutual option

© Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Zach Davies will be hitting the free agent market this winter, as he's likely to decline his half of a mutual option according to Evan Thompson of lastwordofsports.com. According to Thompson, Davies is interested in re-signing with the D-backs.

#Dbacks right-hander Zach Davies said before the final home game that he will opt out of his contract for 2023 but hopes to re-sign with the DBacks. He likes the atmosphere of the team, likes playing close to home, and likes the direction the team is heading.

— Evan Thompson (@evan_m_thompson) October 7, 2022

Davies, who will turn 30 next February, initially signed a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks in March with a mutual option for 2023 for $1.75 million. In 27 starts this season, he pitched to a 4.03 ERA and a 102/52 strikeout to walk ratio in 134 1/3 innings. More advanced run prevention estimators aren't bullish about Davies' work, with a 4.55 xERA and a 4.58 xFIP. 

A shoulder injury sidelined him for five weeks, following which  the team kept a close eye on his workload after returning. In his final 11 starts, Davies averaged 4 2/3 innings and 83 pitches per start. In only two of those starts did he throw more than 90 pitches. Even with injury concerns, short starts, and bearish run prevention estimators, Davies has a good chance of getting a better deal than what the option would have paid him. 

Diamondbacks General Manager Mike Hazen listed the rotation as a possible area to address this winter in a press conference with the media, but the team won't be as aggressive. In 2022 the team had three of their top pitching prospects make it to the big leagues, as Drey Jameson, Tommy Henry, and Ryne Nelson got a chance to showcase they belong. Brandon Pfaadt, who won D-backs minor league pitcher of the year, has done all he needs to do in AAA and will likely get a shot at a rotation spot either in spring training or early in the season. Other top pitching prospects such as Slade Cecconi, Blake Walston, and Bryce Jarvis could also get a look at the big leagues in 2023.

Depending on how the free agent market plays out this winter, the D-backs could find themselves in position to add a veteran starter. Davies will be one of the many options they could potentially consider signing for the right deal.