This story was quoted in Steve Gilbert’s D-backs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to receive it regularly in your inbox.
It was sometime after the news of Alex Bregman signing with the Cubs and Boston’s inking of Ranger Suárez that my inbox started filling up with the same question: Since the Red Sox lost Bregman and signed a pitcher who gives them real rotation depth, do you think they will now circle back to the Diamondbacks and offer GM Mike Hazen a deal Ketel Marte can’t refuse?
“Look, we are already involved in that process,” he said. “I said at the time that I was setting a deadline for a reason, to avoid this.”
Hazen informed Marte by phone that all trade talks were off and that the two would sit down and talk about it face-to-face when Marte came to Arizona before Spring Training. He also noted that the GM’s name must count for something. If he tells another GM something and then goes back on it, how will that affect his future dealings?
If he tells a player something — in this case, “You’re not traded” — and then a week later trades him, why would any player in the future trust what he says?
So, to answer the first question, no. Nothing has changed, and Marte will be wearing a Diamondbacks uniform come Spring Training.
Here are a few more questions I recently received.
That doesn’t mean Alexander is headed to the bench. Instead, look for him to get the first crack at overtime playing time in left field. He doesn’t have much experience in the outfield, but he showed good feel in limited play last year.
As Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on the injured list to start the year and with Jake McCarthy gone, Alexander, Jordan Lawlar, Alek Thomas and Jorge Barrosa, among others, will get opportunities to get playing time at left and center.
In addition, I would not overlook Ryan Waldschmidt, who is ranked as the No. 1 prospect. 1 in the program is MLB Pipeline. Waldschmidt will be in big league camp and could be a dark horse in the opening day lineup. Even if he doesn’t make it out of camp, I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t see time in the Majors this season.
They’re still looking for bullpen arms, but if you’re a bona fide closer at this point, well … don’t do it.
“Would I rather have someone with a clear pedigree of pitching eighth and ninth innings?” Hazen said. “That’s the easy answer. I’m not sure what we’re going to be able to achieve that way. I think if we continue to build talent in the bullpen, the bullpen will get better over time as the season goes on. Obviously we’re going to bring guys back as the season goes on, so I think the talent will naturally improve as the year goes on.”
Relief performances from year to year can be highly variable, so it’s not out of the question that there are many pitchers who can step up to a team that includes Drey Jameson, Juan Burgos, Andrew Hoffman, Andrew Saalfrank and other young pitchers in the lineup.
Kevin Ginkel should be healthy to start the season and Ryan Thompson, who had injury problems last year and some problems, could return to the form he showed with Arizona in 2023 and 2024.
Fellow closers AJ Puk and Justin Martinez should return from Tommy John surgery sometime around the All-Star break, which will provide a boost.
