Diamondbacks News
3 Closers Diamondbacks Could Target by Alex D’Agostino [SI]
Kenley Jansen is one of the riskier options available, but it’s hard to argue with results. The 38-year-old veteran pitched to a 2.59 ERA over 59 innings in 2025 and converted 29 of his 30 save opportunities.
He’s been very durable and effective in his lengthy career, and could be a relatively affordable one-year signing, but there are some peripheral concerns. His expected ERA was over a full run higher (3.75) and his FIP was nearly 4.00.
On top of that, his strikeouts per nine plummeted from above 10 to 8.69, and his eight homers surrendered was nearly equal to his previous two years’ combined total.
What Marcus Semien Trade to Mets Means for D-backs by Alex D’Agostino [SI]
So how does this affect the D-backs? Well, for one, they’ll have to deal with Semien in the National League now.
But with Arizona fielding offers on Marte, it also takes away one of the teams that most desperately needed a second baseman, as the market for an unlikely trade of Marte will now dwindle to a degree.
Around the League
Tatsuya Imai wants to ‘take down’ Los Angeles Dodgers by Michael Clair and Ayako Oikawa [MLB]
Speaking with Daisuke Matsuzaka on the show, “Hodo Station,” Imai revealed a bit of a competitive edge.
“Of course, I’d enjoy playing alongside Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Sasaki,” Imai told the former Major League pitcher and two-time World Baseball Classic champion, “but winning against a team like that and becoming a world champion would be the most valuable thing in my life. If anything, I’d rather take them down.”
Shohei Ohtani to play for Japan in World Baseball Classic [ESPN]
He did not say in his post Monday whether he would be pitching for Japan.
The WBC begins March 5, with Japan in Pool C, along with Australia, South Korea, Czechia and Chinese Taipei. Team USA will be in Pool B.
The Robo-Zone Could Make Catcher Defense More Valuable Than Ever by Davy Andrews [FanGraphs]
How much will the ABS challenge system hurt the ability of catchers to frame pitches? That question has been bouncing around my brain for quite a while now. I’d been waiting for the offseason to really dive into the numbers, and, well, we’re here. It’s the offseason. But now that I’ve dug into all the data I could find, I think the entire premise of that question might be flawed. I thought that correcting a couple of ball-strike calls a game would erase a couple of well-framed pitches. This would no doubt hurt the better framers more than it hurt the worse ones, simply because they earn more strikes and would have more to lose. At the same time, the lesser framers would have juicier pitches to challenge, boosting their numbers a bit. As a result, the gap between good and bad framers would shrink, furthering a trend that’s been going on since we first gained the ability to quantify the value of pitch framing. It would still be valuable, just not quite as valuable as it used to be. But I’m not so sure anymore.
Warren Schaeffer To Return As Rockies’ Manager in 2026 by Darragh McDonald [MLB Trade Rumors]
With the Rockies likely a few years away from contention, in-game decisions and results are probably not the focus right now. It would make sense to prioritize things like player relationships and development. Since the Rockies have a young roster and Schaeffer was climbing through the farm as a coach until a few years ago, he will have relationships with many of the players going back to their early minor league days. Per Saunders, many players complimented Schaeffer for his communication skills and attention to detail as interim manager last year.
Time will tell how aggressive DePodesta will be in making moves to send out current players and/or bring in external options. As he makes those decisions, Schaeffer will stick around as a throughline from the previous era to the new one. It’s the kind of insular move that has led to criticism being pointed at the Rockies in the past, though it’s understandable why they would want the stability of keeping Schaeffer around as they make other changes elsewhere.
