When we last checked in, just before the end of the regular season, the Diamondbacks had 39 players on the 40-man roster. But as had been discussed, there was significant work to be done to free up spots,
both for the 60-day injured list going away, and to protect eligible prospects from the upcoming Rule 5 draft. A significant slice of that work now appears to have been completed. The 40-man roster is now down to 31 players, which is enough room to allow for the nine names currently on the 60-day IL to be added, which should happen very soon.
When it does, I’ll kick off a new 40-man roster post, so we can monitor things there again, as we go through the offseason. But for now, here’s a standalone update on the recent moves.
Free agents
- 11/02/25 C James McCann elected free agency.
- 11/02/25 RHP Zac Gallen elected free agency.
- 11/02/25 LHP Jalen Beeks elected free agency.
- 11/04/25 RHP Elvin Rodríguez elected free agency.
The first three should be no surprise. They are currently in a brief window, where only the D-backs can negotiate, but it would be a surprise if anything came of this. I’d expect all of the trio to explore their market in free agency. Gallen will almost certainly be given a one-year qualifying offer, turn it down, and the D-backs will then receive compensation for him signing as a free agent. Unless he comes back to the Diamondbacks, of course.
The last name might have you going, “Who?” Rodríguez was claimed off waivers from the Orioles on September 5, and was sent to Reno. The 27-year-old right-hander came with a club option at $1.35 million for next year. But Arizona chose to decline that, making him a free agent. There are rumblings he may look to try his luck overseas again. Rodríguez pitched for the Yakult Swallows in Japan, and did well there, so a return to NPB might be plausible.
Outrighted to Reno
- 11/05/25 Arizona Diamondbacks sent RHP John Curtiss outright to Reno Aces.
- 11/05/25 Arizona Diamondbacks sent SS Connor Kaiser outright to Reno Aces.
- 11/05/25 Arizona Diamondbacks sent RHP Casey Kelly outright to Reno Aces.
- 11/05/25 Arizona Diamondbacks sent LHP Kyle Nelson outright to Reno Aces.
Four further spots were freed up with the above moves. Curtiss, Kelly (no… the other one) and Nelson (no… the other one too) were on our previous list as likely to be casualties of the roster crunch. Kaiser was not, but was definitely a possibility. He appeared in 11 games for the Diamondbacks in August and September, going 2-for-18. However, you’d be forgiven for not noticing, considering that after being recalled on September 2, Connor had only 4 PA the rest of the way.
Next steps
The next step will be, as noted above, re-adding the nine 60-day IL players. Further cuts from the 40-man roster will come in the next couple of weeks, for Rule 5 protection. The names I’d say most likely to be removed to that end are as follows:
- Jorge Barrosa
- Taylor Rashi
- Ildemaro Vargas
- Gus Varland
The deadline for this to happen is November 18, so we should know more over the next couple of weeks. Leading contenders to be added are Kohl Drake (our #6 prospect), Mitch Bratt (#9), and Gavin Conticello (#26). Though it is worth noting that the team may end up adding fewer prospects than you’d expect. Last year, for instance, only Tim Tawa and Joe Elbis were added at this stage of the offseason. [I’m still curious why Elbis didn’t pitch at all in 2025, being first on the minor-league IL, and then the restricted list].
Further updates will follow, as appropriate.
