Diamondbacks News
The Diamondbacks’ Next Competitive Window Depends On Ryne Nelson by Michael McDermott [Mike’s Hardball Blueprint]. {Ed. Note: Loved this analysis from Michael. I’m not great with pitcher analytics but Michael does a great job here explaining the ‘nitty gritty’ on why certain pitches should or shouldn’t work to help Nelson round out his arsenal.}
For the Diamondbacks to be a contender in 2026, they need Nelson to take the next step and develop into a frontline starter. Merrill Kelly is 37 years old, Eduardo Rodríguez is 33 with an injury history, and Brandon Pfaadt has a career ERA over 5.00. So it’s incumbent on the 29-year-old to become the type of starter Arizona envisioned when they drafted him 56th overall in 2019.
Here’s a breakdown of what the Diamondbacks could do to turn Nelson into a potential ace.
Diamondbacks’ Adrian Del Castillo Opening Day status in question by Alex Weiner [Arizona Sports]
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher and designated hitter Adrian Del Castillo is dealing with a left calf injury that could keep him out through Opening Day.
Manager Torey Lovullo said on Monday that Del Castillo will be out for most of spring training, and the club will reassess him closer to the start of the regular season.
“He’s doing things where he can, he’s getting on his knees and throwing but not really stressing that left calf at all,” Lovullo said.
Diamondbacks Reveal New Timeline For Injured First Baseman by Michael McDermott [Heavy]
The timeline for when Diamondbacks first baseman Tyler Locklear will return had been unclear throughout the offseason. Locklear underwent surgery on both his left shoulder and left elbow to address an injury sustained in an on-field collision in October.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo provided a clearer update on when the young first baseman will return to action. Lovullo told reporters, including Arizona Sports’ Alex Weiner, that Locklear is looking at mid-May to June.
Diamondbacks Pitchers Thrilled by Unexpected Reunion by Alex D’Agostino [SI]
More importantly, however, Gallen’s new locker is right where it should be: next to friend, golfing buddy and 2026 opening day starter Merrill Kelly. The D-backs’ long-time one-two punch were reunited against all odds this offseason.
Neither pitcher expected to see each other in the same clubhouse this year. But here they both are.
“That’s my locker-mate for the last seven years,” Kelly said. “That’s the guy I golf with on the road. … I think everybody’s happy to see him.”
Archie Bradley Backs Ketel Marte, “I Love” Arenado Move by Kyle Odegard [RG]
“You go through things, man,” Bradley told RG in an exclusive interview. “That’s one thing non-players kind of forget. We are people, too. Ketel has been through a lot. Lost his mom, got his house broken into. Ketel even came out and apologized about the way he handled it. We all make mistakes.
“But for me, he’s in the top five for all-time D-Backs. He’s the No. 1 second baseman in the league.
Power hitter from both sides. I think you’re going to see an even better Ketel this year. Even more of a leader. I think that’s what I see the most from him. He’s one of the most tenured guys in that clubhouse. He got traded there in 2017, and we debuted together. I think it was just a little mishap. He’s good and has mended everything back there.”
Desert Oasis: Zac Gallen Returns to Diamondbacks on One-Year Deal by Ben Clemens [FanGraphs]
Gallen was my no. 19 free agent this winter, and I’ll just reproduce the first line of my write-up here: “After looking at Gallen’s résumé for about an hour, I came to an obvious conclusion: I’m glad I’m not a major league GM.” He had a severe case of pumpkinization in 2025. He missed fewer bats, drew fewer chases, walked more batters and struck out fewer, gave up louder contact, didn’t keep the ball on the ground, and lost a bit of velocity. It was the worst season of his career by a large margin; his 4.83 ERA might have been a caricature of his performance, but all of his advanced run prevention estimators surged to career-worst marks, too.
As a platform year, it left something to be desired. But I still think Gallen was right to turn down his QO and survey the landscape. After that didn’t work out, however, he made the obvious choice: Run it back in the same place and try again. Given that he put up a 3.20 ERA (3.22 FIP, 3.47 xFIP) from 2022 through 2024, worth a whopping 12.2 WAR (14.9 rWAR), betting on at least a little bit of bounce-back before a second trip to free agency surely felt very appealing.
Diamondbacks’ catcher Gabriel Moreno eyes productive 2026 season by José M. Romero [AZ Central]
Gabriel Moreno spent his offseason putting in work in his native Venezuela, getting himself prepared for the upcoming season. He was there in early January when the U.S. military staged a raid and captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
A new acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, assumed leadership of a shaky government already dealing with a collapsed economy, inflation, infrastructure failures and a general lack of basic human services.
“It’s hard, obviously, for the government,” Moreno said in Spanish. “But the world knows that Venezuelans want a good future for their country. I think most people are OK with things.”
Moreno hopes for a better future as well, starting with a healthy and productive 2026 season. He’s been limited by various injuries over the past two seasons, including thumb and groin injuries in 2024 and a broken finger on his right hand, the one with which he throws, that cost him two months in 2025.
Around the League
Buster Olney’s 2026 top 10 at every position: Starting pitchers by Buster Olney [ESPN]
The question is simple: Who is the best pitcher on the planet, Tarik Skubal or Paul Skenes?
But the initial responses of Major League Baseball industry evaluators suggest overwhelming brain fry.
“Oh, wow …”
“C’mon …”
“You’re asking me?”
“Are you f—ing kidding me with that?”
Judge was anxiously waiting for Yanks to ‘go out there and get the right people’ by Bryan Hoch [MLB]
As months passed and other teams in the American League East created headlines with big-ticket additions, Judge said he voiced his impatience with management, waiting for a headline-grabbing move in the Bronx.
“Early on, it was pretty tough to watch,” Judge said. “I’m like, ‘Man, we’re the New York Yankees. Let’s go out there and get the right people, the right pieces to go out there and finish this thing off.’”
2026 Top 100 Prospects by Eric Longenhagen, Brendan Gawlowski and James Fegan [FanGraphs] {Ed. Note: D-backs on the list: #35 Ryan Waldschmidt and #98 Tommy Troy}
Waldschmidt started his amateur career on the infield, but has played on the grass exclusively as a pro. His feel for the outfield has matured to the point where he projects above average in a corner. He’s played a handful of games in center, but isn’t really a fit there. No matter. The bat should carry Waldschmidt to a productive career, and he projects as a middle-of-the-order hitter. It’s a power-and-OBP-over-hit skill set, and at the low end of his range of outcomes, he may just strike out too much to be more than a part-time player. But Waldschmidt’s median outcome is as a regular, and there’s 30-homer upside if everything clicks. He should arrive in the desert early in the 2026 season, and the injury to Corbin Carroll could propel him onto the Opening Day roster.
Padres Sign Walker Buehler To Minor League Deal by Anthony Franco [MLB Trade Rumors]
San Diego continues to stockpile potential back-end starters. The Padres agreed to big league deals with Griffin Canning and Germán Márquez over the weekend. Buehler settles for a non-roster invitation, which seemingly puts him a little behind the other two veteran righties as camp gets underway. (Canning is coming back from an Achilles tear and is questionable for Opening Day). Buehler has been the most accomplished of that trio over the course of his career, though, so it’d hardly be a surprise if he pitches his way onto the roster.
The Friars have three locks for the Opening Day rotation: Nick Pivetta, Michael King and Joe Musgrove. First-year skipper Craig Stammen implied last week that righty Randy Vásquez has a leg up on the fourth starter role after a solid finish last year. Márquez, Canning (if healthy) and JP Sears are the top options on the 40-man roster for the fifth starter job. Matt Waldron also remains on the 40-man but is out of options and coming off a rough season in Triple-A. Buehler joins Triston McKenzieand Marco Gonzales among the non-roster invitees.
Mets Owner Draws Hard Line: No Captain Under His Watch by Alvin Garcia [Heavy]
At the club’s spring complex in Port St. Lucie, Cohen declared that he will not allow an official “C” on anyone’s jersey while he owns the franchise. “As long as I’m owning the team, there will never be a team captain,” Cohen said to reporters, including MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. Cohen presented the move as a philosophical choice rather than a reactionary one. In his view, the clubhouse should define its own hierarchy organically, year by year, rather than through a front-office designation.
That stance lands differently in Queens, where captaincy has historically meant something.
The Mets have named only four captains in franchise history: Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter, John Franco, and David Wright. Each represented not just on-field excellence but cultural identity. Wright, in particular, bridged eras—from the late Shea Stadium years to Citi Field—embodying stability amid turbulent seasons.