Diamondbacks News
D-backs have faith Pfaadt will find his groove in ‘26 by Steve Gilbert [DBacks.com]
“Brandon falls very much in the group of players that we have that we feel like getting some certainty around what the future
is going to look like. That is very important for us, in terms of building a roster and keeping this team together for as long as we can,” Arizona general manager Mike Hazen said at the time.
The Diamondbacks have loved Pfaadt’s work ethic since he was drafted in 2020 and have long believed in his character as well as his pitching ability.
And while he had a down season in 2025, the Diamondbacks have no regrets about the deal and little doubt that he will return to form in 2026.
Will the Diamondbacks Choose Alex Bregman Over Ketel Marte? by Michael McDermott [D-backs Under Review]
Diamondbacks Reportedly Meeting with International Star by Alex D’Agostino [SI]
The Diamondbacks will have a hefty group of competitors if they are serious about bringing in Okamoto. The Pirates, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Angels and Padres have all been linked to the Japanese star — much more definitively than the D-backs have.
That, of course, does not mean there’s no hope for Arizona to land the slugger. In fact, the lack of reports linking the D-backs to Okamoto might even be an encouraging sign, considering how closely GM Mike Hazen and Arizona’s front office have tended to hold information of that sort.
Around the League
A triple play is rare — this player helped turn SEVEN of them by Manny Randhawa [MLB]
Over the 20-season span from 1981-2000, there were 80 triple plays turned. Gary Gaetti was involved in 10% of them.
Yes — one player, eight triple plays. The odds are astronomical, but it’s true. Gaetti, who played for the Twins, Angels, Royals, Cardinals, Cubs and Red Sox from 1981-2000, was part of seven triple plays on defense and he also hit into one himself.
Who made our MLB All Quarter-Century team? Hall of Famers, 2025 stars by Jesse Yomtov, Bob Nightingale, Gabe Lacques, and Steve Gardner [USA Today]. {Ed. Note: A former Diamondback did make this team, but probably not the one you’d expect. Also, SPOILER, I’m pleasantly surprised they didn’t create a 2-way player slot to shoehorn Shohei onto the team.}
In that time, we’ve seen some of the greatest players in the history of the game from 1980s holdovers like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens to the modern marvels in reigning back-to-back MVPs Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.
We surveyed USA TODAY Sports’ staff of MLB writers and editors on who should make up baseball’s All Quarter-Century Team and there was consensus on most player that would up making the list of 10 positions, five starting pitchers and a closer.
Mariners Reluctant To Deal From Major League Roster by Steve Adams [MLB Trade Rumors]
It’s a fairly similar approach to the one taken by Dipoto, Hollander & Co. last offseason. In the winter of 2024-25, the Mariners pursued multiple big-ticket trade items but found many clubs with players available in trade were seeking young big leaguers — not the top prospects that proliferate the top of a stacked Seattle farm system. There are more pure rebuilding clubs this winter, at least on paper, but the Cardinals have prioritized MLB-ready pitching in trades of Sonny Gray (Richard Fitts) and Willson Contreras (Hunter Dobbins). The D-backs reportedly want to add major league pitching (presumably multiple rotation candidates) in any deal for star infielder Ketel Marte.
While Seattle’s system is deep in high-end prospects — the M’s had eight players on Baseball America’s end-of-season top-100 prospect list, though they’ve since traded Harry Ford — the actual depth beyond the big league rotation is relatively thin. Each of Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo and George Kirby started at least 23 games in 2025. All pitched well — Kirby had a couple brutal outings but was largely strong — but only Castillo did so while avoiding an IL stint. Bryce Miller missed more than half the season due to elbow inflammation. The options beyond that pair are less encouraging.
