Team news
[Arizona Sports] Corbin Carroll says World Baseball Classic was among his biggest goals – He could not say yes to the opportunity quickly enough. “It was honestly one of my biggest goals going into last
year, to play well enough to be considered for the team,” Carroll told Arizona Sports’ Ain’t No Fang podcast on Friday. “I got the honor of doing it in 2018 with (the) U18 team and going to Panama. There really is no greater honor.” Carroll remembers that experience fondly, excluding some bad orange juice, particularly winning the gold medal and building friendships with fellow future MLB stars. This time the stage will be even grander, as the trio along with Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh and Paul Skenes will attempt to bring the gold back to the United States after a runner-up finish to Japan in 2023.
[SI] How Diamondbacks Could Extend their Best Starting Pitcher – There are still three full seasons of control before he reaches free agency in the 2029 season in his age-31 season. Now that he has entered the arbitration years and his salary increases, Nelson, who is represented by the Wasserman agency, may prefer to just go through the next three seasons and reach free agency in 2029. But if the Diamondbacks wish to extend him and try to gain an extra year or two of control, they can make an offer that would entice Nelson to make a deal. There happens to be a template they can refer to as a possible framework, and that is the extension given to Pfaadt on March 28, 2025.
[AZ Central] How new MLB, ESPN deal will impact Diamondbacks broadcasts – At least for 2026, the agreement will not have an impact on how Diamondbacks games are broadcast, according to a league source. Diamondbacks games will continue to be produced and distributed through MLB and its streaming product, MLB.tv, just as they have been for the past two-plus seasons. The games also will be available on various carriers, such as Cox. The new agreement gives ESPN the ability to make Diamondbacks games — as well as those of five other MLB teams — available through their app, as well, likely at an additional, bundled cost. It is not, however, expected to be available at the start of the 2026 season.
[Dbacks Under Review] D-backs Rumors: James McCann’s Return, Lucas Giolito Interest, Non-Tender Decisions – The most notable contribution McCann provided to the club was his ability to handle the pitching staff. It’s no coincidence that D-backs pitchers performed the best under him. Between him, Herrera, and Moreno, he got the best results in terms of ERA (4.02), OPS (.695), and strikeout to walk ratio (3.77). He was also the primary catcher for Zac Gallen’s second-half resurgence, one that might make him one of the more sought-after free agents this winter. There is some risk with a 36-year-old veteran who enjoyed a dead cat bounce, but the D-backs aren’t paying an exorbitant cost for his services. It was a deal that needed to happen, and got done rather quickly.
Rosterbation
[Bleacher Report] Ranking Brewers SP Freddy Peralta’s Top 10 Landing Spots – 5. Arizona Diamondbacks. Trade Package: OF Ryan Waldschmidt (Reuter’s No. 74), SS Kayson Cunningham (Reuter’s No. 97) and RHP Daniel Eagen (ARI’s No. 13). If they do manage to trade for Peralta exclusively from their farm system, you can probably go ahead and remove Marte from all subsequent trade block speculation. That’s especially true if they also manage to retain Zac Gallen, either via the qualifying offer or a long-term re-signing. Long story short, there’s quite a bit of work to be done on a rotation that presently consists of Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt. Getting an $8 million ace to headline that group would be huge.
[AZ Central] 5 potential targets for the Arizona Diamondbacks in free agency – The Diamondbacks have holes on their pitching staff and a modest amount of money available — or so we think — to try to fill them. So, no, this list does not presume the Diamondbacks will be swimming in the deep end of baseball free agency this winter. Instead, it is a look at a handful of names that might make sense given the players’ anticipated price points and the Diamondbacks’ needs. Perhaps Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick authorizes the front office to spend more, allowing the team to, say, bring back Merrill Kelly or Zac Gallen. But assuming those two are too expensive, perhaps these are some pitchers who could fall within the Diamondbacks’ budgetary parameters.
[Yahoo] Arizona may pursue Lucas Giolito amid Zac Gallen uncertainty – Giolito, who played 26 games for the Boston Red Sox in 2025, is said to have several teams interested in signing him already, and the Diamondbacks are rumored to be one of them, according to MLB.com. Due to Gallen’s decision to decline his qualifying offer, Arizona may have to pivot to address an already weak starting rotation.“ Giolito returned from significant elbow surgery and authored a bounce-back season in 2025, posting a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts with the Red Sox. The 31-year-old righty should have multiple suitors, with the D-Backs reportedly one of them. MLB Network Insider Jon Paul Morosi said (below) that Arizona has had ‘some conversation already this offseason’ with Giolito.
[Just Baseball] 6 MLB Trade Offers the Dbacks Would Accept For Ketel Marte – A player of the caliber of Marte is hard to assess value for several reasons. His age is just the tip of the iceberg, but his contract is very plug-and-playable. It’s hard to deduce when decline will hit Marte, or even how long we can refer to him as a second baseman. In recent seasons, his metrics have improved, but at what point does preserving his body outweigh maximizing his value when out there? Nevertheless, those are questions that his next employer will have to answer. But who has the assets to swing such a deal?
And, elsewhere…
[ESPN] Rangers, Mets reach deal to swap Marcus Semien, Brandon Nimmo – Texas entered the offseason looking for areas to save money, with its payroll being cut and four players — Semien, shortstop Corey Seager, and right-handers Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi — set to make in excess of $25 million next year. The trade is the first move in what’s expected to be a busy winter for both teams — particularly the Mets. As a result of the team’s slow collapse over the season’s final 3½ months, New York missed the postseason and eventually underwent significant turnover in its coaching staff. The acquisition of Semien — who won his second Gold Glove this year — aligns with president of baseball operations David Stearns’ primary goal this winter of improving run prevention.
[MLB] Which team can emulate the 2025 Jays in ’26? – If success was simply about making the most contact, then the Royals and Brewers would be in the World Series annually (they’re not), and Luis Arraez would be the best hitter in baseball (he’s not). The key to what Toronto did was to maintain that low strikeout rate while also adding bat speed and slug, to the point that they had one of the most powerful postseason slugging offenses on record… Let’s look at three important things the 2025 Blue Jays actually did – and who might be best positioned to follow them in ’26.
[St. Pete Rising] Final roof panel installed at Tropicana Field as St. Pete races toward 2026 reopening – Workers have officially installed the final roof panel at Tropicana Field in downtown St. Pete, marking a major milestone as the City of St. Petersburg prepares to welcome the Tampa Bay Rays back in 2026. The new roof, built with a stronger and more weather resistant fiberglass membrane, is part of a more than $60 million renovation effort to restore the ballpark after 110 mile per hour winds from Hurricane Milton shredded the original roof late last year. Although the Rays are only contracted to play at Tropicana Field through the end of the 2028 season, the City is required to provide the team with a suitable stadium for the full term of the agreement, prompting the need for repairs.
