After a disappointing 2025 campaign that saw them miss the postseason, the Arizona Diamondbacks enter a pivotal off-season. With stars Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte in their prime, the pressure is on GM
Mike Hazen to address glaring roster holes, like high-end pitching, and return the team to contention. The recent MLB GM meetings in Las Vegas provided the first clues into Hazen’s strategy for this crucial winter.
Hazen Holds Cards Close at GM Meetings
Let’s take a look at the key takeaways on the D-backs’ direction:
Payroll Flexibility
Despite expectations that the D-backs might lower their payroll from the past two seasons, Hazen expressed that he doesn’t feel overly restricted. “I don’t really feel that way, honestly,” Hazen told Nick Piecoro of AZCentral. “Are we going to be doing what we did last off-season? Probably not. But I don’t think I have zero wiggle room or avenues to pursue players.”
This suggests that while the team may not be in on the top-tier free agents, they are not limited to bargain-bin signings. The Dbacks Dispatch hosts noted the mixed signals, highlighting the team’s record-breaking 2025 payroll:
“I don’t know what this team is trying to do. They said they want to cut back a lot, and then recently they’ve come out and said it’s not going to be as much as people thought it was going to be.”
The Ketel Marte Situation
Conflicting reports have surfaced regarding a potential Ketel Marte trade, with some suggesting the D-backs are “motivated” to move him and others ruling it out. Hazen himself called a trade “unlikely” and confirmed he is not actively shopping the All-Star second baseman, matching what the hosts heard.
“I’m glad he came out. He basically said I’m not calling teams. We’re not shopping him but I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t listen when teams are calling.”
He acknowledged his responsibility to listen to offers. This implies that while the team won’t trade Marte just to shed salary, they recognize he may be their most valuable trade chip in acquiring the true impact pitcher the roster desperately needs. The podcast crew was firmly against such a move:
“…if they traded Marte, it just wouldn’t have made sense to me. Why you would trade basically a top five player in your franchise? He’s been a perennial MVP candidate since coming to the Diamondbacks.”
Outfield Depth on the Trading Block
So where will the roster help come from? One move that appears more likely than most, according to reports, involves trading one of the team’s young, controllable outfielders: Alek Thomas or Jake McCarthy. Hazen himself noted that multiple position players are garnering trade interest, and reports specify the team is looking to deal from this area of depth.
Neither Thomas nor McCarthy has been able to secure an everyday role due to nagging inconsistency at the plate.
Thomas, whose NLCS home run will live on in D-backs lore, has seen his elite defense take a step back in 2025 (registering a 0 Fielding Run Value and -7 Defensive Runs Saved). McCarthy enjoyed an exceptional 2024 season (110 wRC+) but regressed significantly in 2025, slashing a mere .204/.247/.345 (60 wRC+), or 40% below league average.
Finances appear to be a significant motivator. Both players are arbitration-eligible for the first time and are projected to earn close to $2 million each. Moving one for a younger, pre-arbitration player would save the team over $1 million—a non-insignificant sum that could be re-allocated to the team’s glaring bullpen or bench needs. The hosts confirmed this logic:
“…one of the issues, other than their offensive numbers, is the fact they’re also arbitration eligible for the first time. This season, each one is gonna make about two million dollars…”
The D-backs feel they have other internal options who can fill the role, including Jorge Barrosa, Tim Tawa, Blaze Alexander, and perhaps Jordan Lawlar, who has played a handful of games in center field in winter ball in the Dominican Republic. The hosts analyzed the pair’s trade value:
“I think Thomas has the most value out of the two because of his defense and his occasional pop that he has… I don’t think you can sell Jake on his own for anything… so that’s why I think you’ve got to package him with another player…”
Marte and Carroll Earn All-MLB Honors
While Hazen and his staff weigh these tough roster decisions, the organization still had plenty to celebrate this week in Las Vegas. The D-backs’ two biggest stars were recognized for their outstanding 2025 campaigns at the MLB Awards.
Second baseman Ketel Marte was named to the All-MLB First Team for the second time in his career. The selection follows a season where the three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner was among the National League’s best, ranking fourth in OPS (.893), fifth in on-base percentage (.376), and eighth in slugging percentage (.517).
Outfielder Corbin Carroll was also honored, earning a selection to the All-MLB Second Team for the second time in his career.
Carroll Joins Team USA
The same night he was named to the All-MLB team, it was officially announced that Corbin Carroll will represent the United States in the upcoming 2026 World Baseball Classic. The D-backs posted the announcement last Thursday.
Carroll, who reportedly turned down an offer to play for Taiwan (a nod to his mother’s heritage), said it was “not a hard decision” when he received the call from Team USA manager Mark DeRosa. “Couldn’t be more excited. It’s going to be awesome,” Carroll said. The Dbacks Dispatch co-hosts were initially surprised by the choice, expecting him to honor his mother’s heritage:
“…I personally thought he was gonna play for his mom because you can always tell he’s really close with her. So the fact that she’s from Taiwan… I think that’s who I was expecting him to play for.”
The honor follows a massive bounce-back 2025 season. Carroll posted a .884 OPS, smashed a career-high 31 home runs, and set a D-backs franchise record with 17 triples. He also became the 10th player in MLB history to record 30+ home runs, 15+ triples, and 30+ doubles in a single season, and was the first-ever member of the D-backs’ 30-30 club. This rebound campaign firmly re-establishes Carroll as the franchise cornerstone next to Marte and a terrifying offensive weapon, silencing any doubts after his 2024 slump.
Carroll joins a roster that already includes MLB stars Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge, Paul Skenes, Bobby Witt Jr., and Pete Crow-Armstrong. Team USA will play in Pool B in Houston, facing Mexico, Great Britain, Brazil, and Italy.
A Winter of Decisions
With the GM Meetings complete, the foundation for the winter is laid. Hazen’s quiet but calculated commentary on trades and payroll sets the stage for the next crucial phase of the off-season. As the Dbacks Dispatch hosts noted, the clock is ticking on key deadlines, most notably the deadline for players to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft and the final decision on Zac Gallen’s qualifying offer.
That decision, in particular, will give a much clearer picture of the team’s pitching needs and financial flexibility. The ultimate question remains, as co-host Gabriel noted,
“Are they going to go all in, or are they just going to wait?” With a core of Carroll, Marte, and Perdomo, the team has “too many great guys to just be calling it a loss.”
