The Arizona Diamondbacks have not made too many headlines this offseason beyond Ketel Marte trade rumors, but the annual winter meetings are finally here.
The winter meetings bring all 30 clubs together each offseason to get things done, creating a heightened sense of anticipation amidst a long and drawn-out MLB offseason.
It’s an antsy time on the calendar. NFL free agency is a blitz that starts about one month after the Super Bowl. The NBA Draft was less than a week after Game 7 of the Finals this past year.
MLB’s offseason can feel like a trickle given how spaced out the transactions feel. That’s why this upcoming week is something to look forward to, even if the winter meetings can vary in levels of excitement.
The Diamondbacks have mostly stuck to procedural roster moves leading into December from setting the 40-man roster to tendering contracts. Arizona’s only major league signing to this point has been catcher James McCann, but there is a lot more to get to in order to address a flawed roster, particularly on the mound.
The winter meetings begin Sunday in Orlando and run through Wednesday.
How will the Diamondbacks go about addressing starting pitching?
The fact that the Diamondbacks need two starting pitchers has been obvious since June, which is difficult given the premium placed on arms.
We’ve already seen that, as Dylan Cease was the first major starting pitching free agent domino to fall. He agreed to a seven-year, $210 million contract with the Blue Jays — with deferred payments involved. That’s a big number for someone who finished 2025 with a 4.55 ERA, but Cease is a strikeout machine with nasty stuff and typically excellent peripherals. Toronto made a bet on the projections.
Deals have ripple effects, and the price for pitching has increased significantly over the past decade.
The Diamondbacks have offered big-money deals to starters in each of the last two offseasons but expect a payroll decrease this winter, although how much so is uncertain. They did not expect to sign Corbin Burnes for $210 million last winter but did, and he will make more than $30 million in 2026 while missing most of the year as he rehabs from Tommy John surgery.
The free agent market involves top lefties Framber Valdez and Ranger Suarez, Japanese right-hander Tatsuya Imai and longtime Diamondbacks Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, both of whom have expressed interest in returning to Arizona if the price is right.
The trade market could be robust.
Joe Ryan (Twins), Hunter Greene (Reds), Freddy Peralta (Brewers), Sandy Alcantara (Marlins), Edward Cabrera (Marlins), MacKenzie Gore (Nationals), Mitch Keller (Pirates) and Kris Bubic (Royals) have all been floated in trade rumors, along with two-time Cy Young winner and Arizona native Tarik Skubal (Tigers).
Peralta, Skubal and Bubic are entering free agency next winter, but the other aforementioned six arms have multiple years of team control left.
The Diamondbacks have an improving farm system, bolstered by the trade deadline sell-off last year. Three of Arizona’s top five pitching prospects were acquired in the Kelly trade from Texas.
Arizona made three picks in the top 35 in 2024 and two picks in the top 29 last year. It has a lottery pick (more on that later) this year, along with a competitive balance pick and a potential compensatory pick if Gallen leaves in free agency after declining the qualifying offer.
Rebuffing the farm system should give the Diamondbacks firepower when looking at trades. Ryan Waldschmidt would be the toughest to part with as the top prospect in the system coming off a dominant year in Double-A (he should be in major league camp this spring).
If the Diamondbacks want to compete next year, starting pitching is the No. 1 area in need of improvements. Signing a veteran like Kelly — with whom there is mutual interest — and trading for a stud at the top of the rotation would set the Diamondbacks up well to improve in 2026, especially if Burnes can get back by August.
Does a Ketel Marte trade make any logical sense?
(Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
Arizona’s pitching needs lead directly into the question of whether or not it makes any sense to trade Marte. Teams have been calling, and the Diamondbacks have been listening. If a prospect package does not get the Diamondbacks their desired pitching, Marte could. But a trade is still considered not likely.
General manager Mike Hazen said it himself last season that you win in this league with superstars and Marte is one of them.
Over the past three years, Marte ranks ninth in MLB in OPS, ninth in wRC+, 14th in home runs and 13th in wins above replacement for position players (FanGraphs).
ESPN recently listed Marte as the second best player who could be traded this winter after Skubal, and mock trades started arriving on social media and in articles quickly after the offseason began.
Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen on Ketel Marte and trade speculation: “I have to listen to what people say.”
He told @BurnsAndGambo from MLB GM meetings in Las Vegas that the club has to be “open-minded” with how much pitching they are focused on adding. pic.twitter.com/yH1qlj1tLP
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) November 11, 2025
The idea of a Marte for Greene trade has been floated in the media. The Mariners and Red Sox are clubs with young starting pitching depth and a need for a big bat in the lineup.
The issue is the Diamondbacks have been great offensively over the past couple years, and losing Marte is a lot of production to make up. The offense would take a step back in all likelihood and probably will anyway, depending on how the D-backs could fill holes around star players Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo and Gabriel Moreno.
Given the farm system reinforcements made over the past couple years and more incoming, it would make more sense to pull from there for an arm or two when looking at the outlook of the Diamondbacks in 2026 and 2027.
But there are other considerations. Marte is 32 and under contract through his age 38 season. He has lower-body injury concerns, having missed a month last year with a hamstring strain and having taken periodic days off throughout the season for management. Taking time off led to a bit of drama around the All-Star break, and if more animosity exists behind closed doors then that becomes a factor. If Marte truly made amends in the clubhouse, that’s another factor.
At the same time, the contract is not debilitating. He is owed $28 million over the next two years and $20-22 million per year for the next three. That’s quite affordable for a scary offensive player.
Unless there is an offer that drops jaws, keeping Marte and using the farm and free agency to find starting pitching help is the more sure way to keep the floor of the team at a certain level next year.
Will the Diamondbacks find their next closer?
The closer frenzy has started. Devin Williams is on the Mets, Ryan Helsley is on the Orioles, Emilio Pagan is back with the Reds and the Diamondbacks have shown interest in Pete Fairbanks.
Arizona used a major league-record 17 pitchers to save games last year and finished second in the league with 29 blown saves. Imagine if the Diamondbacks simply blew 22 games, which would have put them in the middle of the pack. Do they make the postseason?
The Diamondbacks wanted a closer tandem of Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk but injuries eliminated that idea about three weeks into the season.
Edwin Diaz headlines the closer market, followed by Robert Suarez, Kenley Jansen and Fairbanks. There are other relief options who could take on a late-inning role on a new team, Brad Keller and Luke Weaver coming to mind there.
Where will the Diamondbacks land in the MLB Draft lottery?
An order of business at the winter meetings is the draft lottery, and the Diamondbacks enter with the 10th-best odds at 1.51%. That sounds impossible, but the Cleveland Guardians won the lottery in 2023 with 2% odds, so who knows? The D-backs benefit from the Rockies, Nationals and Angels being ineligible for the lottery due to league rules about repeat participants.
This is going to be a big draft year for the Diamondbacks, as aside from a lottery pick, they own a competitive balance round A pick that will land in the 30s. If Gallen signs a $50 million deal or higher somewhere else, that additional comp pick would fall right after the first round. The D-backs could end up with three picks in the top 35 again.
The lottery is on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. MST on MLB Network.
Will the Diamondbacks pursue a Japanese free agent?
(AP Photo/Hiro Komae, File)
The Diamondbacks have not signed a player out of Japan since Yoshihisa Hirano ahead of the 2018 season, but times are changing.
More and more talent is being posted from Japanese teams to try to make it in MLB, and the Dodgers have done well at capitalizing recently.
Imai is the top pitcher coming over at 27 years old. The right-hander threw 163.2 innings for the Seibu Sea Lions this past year with a 1.92 ERA and 178 strikeouts, throwing a mid-90s heater and wipeout slider.
Corner infielders Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto are the biggest bats looking for MLB homes, both providing lots of power.
Murakami is only 25 years old and is considered to have the higher ceiling and lower floor of the two, considering his age, raw power and swing-and-miss potential. Okamoto is 29 and has hit the most home runs in Japan’s NPB since 2018, plus he nearly walked as much as he struck out this past season.
Kona Takahashi, 28, is another starting pitcher who was posted, although he was more effective in 2022-23 than 2024-25.
The Diamondbacks in national media stories have been tied to Okamoto given the club’s need for corner infield help, particularly at first base.
Bonus: Will they lose anyone in the Rule 5 Draft?
The Diamondbacks protected prospects Kohl Drake, Mitch Bratt, Jose Fernandez and Dylan Ray from the Rule 5 Draft, but there are several others who will be eligible get picked.
The Rule 5 Draft in essence allows teams to poach talent that is not on the 40-man roster after being with an organization for a certain number of years. Teams can give a shot to players who cannot quite crack the club they play for.
For the Diamondbacks, notable names to watch are pitcher Spencer Giesting, catcher Christian Cerda, first baseman Ivan Melendez, outfielder Kristian Robinson, outfielder A.J. Vukovich and reliever Landon Sims.
The Rule 5 Draft is on Wednesday at noon MST.
Bonus: Who is going to make the Hall of Fame?
(AP Photo/Barry Reeger, File)
While the next class of Hall of Famers from the BBWAA ballots won’t be announced until Jan. 20, the contemporary era committee will vote on eight candidates at the winter meetings. The eight candidates did not receive the requisite votes from the writers but get another look from a panel that includes Hall of Famers Ferguson Jenkins, Jim Kaat, Juan Marichal, Tony Perez, Ozzie Smith, Alan Trammell and Robin Yount, along with two team owners, a group of former executives, a baseball historian and two media members.
The eight players up for consideration are Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Gary Sheffield, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy and Fernando Valenzuela.
Bonds and Clemens are obvious Hall of Famers when looking at the baseball resume, but their connection to steroid use has left them out.
Sheffield hit 509 home runs in his career but was in the Mitchell Report for ties to BALCO, although Sheffield has continued to deny knowingly taking anything illegal.
Delgado was an underrated slugger of the late 1990s and early 2000s for the Blue Jays without any connection to steroids. He finished with 473 home runs and came just short of winning the 2003 AL MVP.
Kent is the all-time leading home run hitter among second baseman (354) and an MVP winner for his 2000 season with the Giants.
Mattingly was the face of the Yankees before their late 90s dynasty, winning nine Gold Gloves and making six All-Star games in pinstripes.
Murphy was dominant for the 80s Braves, averaging 33 home runs from 1980-87 with two MVP awards.
The late Valenzuela, finally, shook Los Angeles with “Fernandomania,” as his Cy Young-winning rookie seasons began one of the most popular tenures in Dodgers — and frankly, MLB — history.
The results will be announced on Sunday.
