Ten different players appeared at first-base for the Diamondbacks in 2026, with eight men starting games at the position. However, more than half of all the starts were by players no longer with the organization, in Ildemaro Vargas, Pavin Smith, Carlos Santana and Luken Baker, so a lot of playing time has to be replaced. In addition, the offensive production from the spot was flat-out terrible. Arizona was dead-last in the majors by OPS, hitting .233/.282/.354 for a dismal .636 OPS. That’s the worst
in franchise history by 38 points. Second-worst at 1B? Well, that would be 2025, so it’s clearly a position at which the D-backs have struggled of late.
What will Mike Hazen do to improve the spot for 2027?
Previous occupants
Four of the eight starters are still in the system, so should be considered incumbents, and credible options for next year. They are Tim Tawa (45 starts), Jose Fernandez (17), LuJames Groover (9) and Tyler Locklear (9). The first three are not primarily 1B, and there’s a strong case to be made, that pinning them down there would be a waste of their flexibility. Tawa, for example, also started games at all three outfield positions, in addition to third base, which is a useful tool to have. No reason he or the others couldn’t occasionally start at first when needed, but making them the everyday starter feels sub-optimal. I’m not sure they have the power we’d like either.
Locklear is the exception. Small sample size, but he posted an .802 OPS in the majors over 15 games. The problem for Tyler was staying healthy, as he played just 86 times across all levels this season. He has shoulder and elbow surgery last October after a collision at first, and missed the first month. Locklear then fractured his thumb in September, ending his season. In between, he had an .871 OPS across 68 games for Reno: for comparison, that’s 54 points below Pavin Smith, and does not translate well to the majors. He turns 26 later this month, so is still somewhat young. But as a comparison, in his age 25 season, Smith played 145 games in MLB.
Internal candidates
Likely the most intriguing possibility is Nolan Arenado. Now, he has never played anywhere except third in his entire professional career, since he was drafted by the Rockies in 2009. However, as he moves into his late thirties and his career inevitably winds down, the ten-time Gold Glover seems open to shifting across the diamond. GM Mike Hazen brought up the possibility last month, indicating it had been talked about with the veteran:
“We’ve talked about Nolan playing some first base, so that might be something we take a look at… I think [third base has] taken a toll on him physically a little bit. So we’re trying to be mindful of that. It could help us, depending on what’s out there in the market for available players, by giving us more flexibility. It opens the door for us, externally, to consider different ways to improve the team.”
The logic would be that would allow the team to sign a third-baseman or a first-baseman, knowing Arenado is able to fill the other position as appropriate. First base is generally considered easier to play than the hot corner, Arenado’s defensive skills should be able to adapt, if that proves necessary.
Adrian Del Castillo is another possibility for a change of scenery, since it seems the team does not have a lot of faith in him as a catcher. His last start there came on July 4: his final 13 appearances all came either as the designated hitter or off the bench. Given things like Del Castillo throwing out only 3 of 39 stolen-base attempts (and at least one of those was a trick play!), you can understand why. As a left-handed hitter, he might be a candidate to form a possible platoon with Locklear.
External candidates
For now, we’ll table the possibility of getting a third baseman, and concentrate just on first base candidates. With internal options like Locklear, Tawa and even Arenado, all being right-handed hitters, the team is likely looking for a left-handed bat. The clear top name there is Jake Bauers, but coming off a breakout season and having received a qualifying offer, he might be expensive. However, his weak track record before 2026 makes a long-term contract something of a risky bet, and so his market for a multi-year deal could be relatively weak. MLB Trade Rumors predicts Bauers might well accept the QO to stay with the Brewers. However, some do predict Arizona signing him, such as ESPN’s Paul Hembekides, who expects the D-backs to pay $54 million for three years.
A cheaper alternative from that side of the plate could be Nathaniel Lowe. The 31-year-old is coming off an 111 OPS+ season, split between Cincinnati and Cleveland. He’s a strong platoon candidate, posting an .822 OPS against right-handed pitching. Lowe also won a Gold Glove at first in 2023, and was a finalist for the award the following season. If Arizona decides to trade instead of buy, one target could be the Cardinals’ Alec Burleson. He is under team control for the next two seasons and has an OPS+ of 121 across the past three years. Burleson turns 28 later this month, so is basically in his prime. Whether or not he is available, may depend on if the Cardinals think they can compete, after going 77-85 this year.
Conclusions
Indications are that the Diamondbacks are not going to have that much money to spend, and they may be cautious to commit, due to the uncertainty currently hanging over the entire 2027 season. There are also other needs, including adding starting pitching and finding replacements for a bullpen significantly depleted by the departure of free agents like Taylor Clarke, Jonathan Loaisiga and Kevin Ginkel. But first base represents an easy opportunity to upgrade, simply because it was so terrible this year. You don’t need to pay top dollar for a stud. Just getting to average there, would make the Diamondbacks 2-3 wins better. There aren’t many cheaper ways to improve by that amount.
Ideally, we’d see Locklear blossom, and become the everyday player we want at the position. It’s certainly not too late: Christian Walker had barely 100 major-league plate appearances when he turned 28. However, nor is it guaranteed, and relying on that, or failed dumpster-dives like Carlos Santana last year, could lead to the team spending another season in the basement of production from the position. So while I’m not expecting a big move by Hazen, I do expect something significant.
