The Thanksgiving turkey is gone, and apparently, so are the bargain deals in free agency. As we look ahead to the Winter Meetings, the market has officially been set, and it’s one the Diamondbacks may not be able to stomach.

In the latest episode of Dbacks Dispatch, we broke down the massive signings of Dylan Cease and Ryan Helsley, and what they signal for Mike Hazen’s off-season strategy. Spoiler alert: It’s not looking cheap.

The $210 Million Reality Check

The Toronto Blue Jays launched some ripples through the market by handing Dylan Cease a staggering 7-year, $210 million contract.

For D-backs fans holding onto the sliver of hope that Zac Gallen might return to the desert, this deal is a sobering wake-up call. By nearly every traditional metric over the past three seasons, Gallen has been more consistent than Cease, yet the floor has now been raised to astronomical heights.

Over the past three seasons, Cease has posted a 4.18 ERA over 534.1 innings, going 29-32 with a 9.5% walk rate. Meanwhile, Gallen has pitched 550 innings in that time, posting a 44-30 record and a superior 3.99 ERA with a cleaner 7.3% walk rate.

Cease’s production trails Gallen’s in nearly every key category over the past three seasons, yet he secured a deal worth over $200 million. Both pitchers are represented by Scott Boras. If that is the going rate for an arm of Cease’s caliber, the D-backs will almost certainly pass on a reunion.

This makes it more than likely that the D-backs will receive draft compensation just following the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft. If Gallen signs elsewhere for more than $50 million, Arizona receives a draft pick, which has real value, but it’s hardly the consolation prize most fans were hoping for.

As eye-opening as the Cease deal was, it carries a secondary threat. As pointed out by Jack Sommers, Cease’s contract could also light a fuse under Corbin Burnes’ opt-out decision. Burnes’ deal matches Cease’s value but is one year shorter. Depending on how the ace looks in his return, he and his agent may have every incentive to test the market again for an even bigger payday. Let’s hope home in Arizona with his family can keep him motivated to stay home, but those numbers might be too loud to ignore in the future.

Helsley Market Complicates the Closer Search

As if the rotation prices weren’t high enough, the bullpen market moved just as aggressively, with former Cardinals and Mets flamethrower Ryan Helsley signing a 2-year, $28 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles.

At $14 million AAV, this deal is shocking considering Helsley is coming off a brutal 2025 season. He pitched to a 7.20 ERA in 22 appearances for the Mets, blowing all four save opportunities in Queens.

If Helsley can get $14 million per year after that collapse, then the D-backs are now stuck in a bidding war. Arizona is in desperate need of a closer and reliable leverage arm, but Helsley’s deal inflates the floor for even buy-low candidates, making it significantly harder for Hazen to find value without overpaying.

With the market exploding for elite arms, the D-backs face a sobering reality: to fill the numerous holes in a leaky roster with a reduced payroll, they may have to get boring.

A boring off-season could mean fewer wins in April and more pressure on a roster that already ran thin down the stretch. The team has absolute needs at multiple spots: two starting pitchers, two leverage relievers, a first baseman, and a power bat. Achieving all of that in one off-season with a tighter budget likely means passing on the exciting names.

Instead of dreaming on trade targets like Hunter Greene or Freddy Peralta, GM Mike Hazen may be forced to pivot to reliable, mid-rotation arms like Brady Singer or Zack Littell. In the bullpen, rather than chasing the top remaining closers, we might see a return to the bargain bin strategy, similar to the Jalen Beeks and Shelby Miller signings of 2025.

There is also the first base question. While fans might clamor for a slugger like Pete Alonso, a cheap reunion with Paul Goldschmidt is a far more reasonable expectation given the financial landscape. Honestly, I’m all for that one though. Fans should prepare for a winter filled with pragmatism instead of fireworks. Let’s hope that calculated, smaller moves can keep the team competitive in a brutal National League.

A Fond Farewell to The Rake Man

Finally, we pour one out for a certified D-Backs cult classic. Jake Lamb has officially retired from Major League Baseball.

The news broke via his longtime teammate and friend Archie Bradley, who posted a heartfelt tribute on Instagram. Bradley reminisced on their journey “from double hot tubbing in Visalia to roommates in the league,” noting that they’ve stood in each other’s weddings and now stand together in retirement.

Lamb spent seven of his 10 MLB seasons in the desert (2014-2020), becoming a fan favorite as he rose from a 6th round pick to an All-Star. His 2017 campaign remains the highlight, where he crushed 30 home runs and helped propel Arizona to a postseason berth. While injuries unfortunately derailed his later years, creating a sense of what could have been, the memories of the Lamb Slam era will be cherished in Arizona.

Lamb retires with 96 career home runs and a 7.4 WAR, but for us, he’ll always be the Rake Man. Happy retirement, Jake.