Within the past year, the Arizona Diamondbacks made multiple trades involving All-Stars, signed the biggest free agent contract in team history and extended four of their own players, including Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte.
All of these moves are in their early stages, particularly the trade deadline transactions that brought nine young players to the Diamondbacks.
But the end of the season is a time to evaluate and take stock, so let’s go through the biggest moves Arizona made since last offseason to see how they are going so far.
Diamondbacks extensions
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
SS Geraldo Perdomo: 4 years, $45 million with a $15 million club option for 2030
2025 stats: 161 games, .290/.389/.462, 20 home runs, 100 RBIs, 7.0 bWAR
Talk about good timing.
The Diamondbacks bought out the remainder of Perdomo’s arbitration-eligible seasons (through 2027) and added three more years of team control on a contract that looks like a bargain compared to the value he produced in 2025.
Perdomo had established himself as the franchise shortstop in 2023-24, but a potential MVP finalist? The 25-year-old reached a level unforeseen in 2025 at the plate.
Perdomo’s 7.1 fWAR ranked second in the NL behind Shohei Ohtani. He hit 20 home runs with 100 RBIs and 27 stolen bases. He won’t win the NL MVP this year, but a top 3-5 finish should be expected.
His deal takes him through his age 30 season, as Perdomo is set up to be a Diamondback for a long time. Good thing he wasn’t traded for Jon Jay.
RHP Brandon Pfaadt: 5 years, $54 million with $21 million club option for 2031 and $25 million mutual option for 2032
2025 stats: 33 starts, 176.2 innings, 5.25 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 4.22 FIP, 0.6 bWAR
This preseason extension felt a bit more surprising at the time, and Pfaadt did not experience similar success as Perdomo after signing it.
Pfaadt had a pretty weird season that started off well (3.28 ERA through eight starts) and then took an ugly turn (11.57 ERA next five starts).
His home/road splits were wild, as he worked a 3.24 ERA at Chase Field and 7.71 ERA on the road.
Pfaadt deepened his arsenal this year by adding a cutter, plus he lowered his walk rate, but there were too many starts when he was simply hit too hard.
The right-hander will turn 27 soon, and he is under contract for five more seasons before the options kick in, which is only one more year than he would have been under team control via arbitration. The Diamondbacks made a bet on him with guaranteed money and the extra year, and with the state of the rotation, next year will be critical for that to start paying off.
RHP Justin Martinez: 5 years, $18 million with $7 million club option in 2030, $9 million club option in 2031
2025 stats: 17 games, 15.1 innings, 4.11 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 4.05 FIP, 22 strikeouts, 12 walks, five saves, 0.2 bWAR
This deal got off to an unfortunate start.
Martinez has an electric arm with great secondary pitches, and he broke out with a 2.48 ERA in 2024. Shoulder fatigue and eventually Tommy John surgery held him to 15.1 innings in 2025, and he will not pitch again until the second half of 2026 at the earliest.
That’s the risk of investing in pitching, but the potential for Martinez to be a dominant late-inning reliever is evident. He struck out 32.8% of hitters he faced this past season while giving up a batting average of .135. Plus, he just turned 24 years old.
2B Ketel Marte: 6 years, $116.5 million with $11.5 million player option in 2031
2025 stats: 126 games, .283/.376/.517, 28 home runs, 72 RBIs, 4.4 bWAR
The Diamondbacks capped their spree of extensions with Marte, who was already under contract through 2027 with a team option for 2028. The club ensured he would remain under team control into his late 30s, as he is about to turn 32.
They slightly lowered his salary in 2026 and 2027 before it starts to jump up in 2028.
Marte put together another very good season with an OPS of .893, 28 home runs and 72 RBIs. He was worth 4.4 bWAR, third on the team behind Perdomo and Corbin Carroll.
It did not come without its drama, however, as reporting came out that he frustrated teammates with days off requests, amplified by his decision to visit the Dominican Republic and miss the start of the second half out of the All-Star break. He apologized publicly. Trade rumors circulated around the time of the controversy, which would be a blockbuster move considering he is one of the best players in the NL in his prime.
He is unlike any player in the league with his ability to hit from both sides as a middle infielder, and no Diamondbacks has been more valuable than him since he arrived in 2017 (33.1 bWAR).
Diamondbacks trades
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Josh Naylor trade 1: Diamondbacks trade RHP Slade Cecconi and a 2025 competitive balance B pick (RHP Will Hynes) to Cleveland for 1B Josh Naylor
Naylor stats with Diamondbacks: 93 games, .292/.360/.447, 11 home runs, 11 stolen bases, 0.8 bWAR
Cecconi stats with Guardians: 23 starts, 132 innings, 4.30 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 109 strikeouts, 0.8 bWAR
The D-backs pivoted from the free agent departure of Christian Walker, trading for the 2024 All-Star from Cleveland. Naylor was a solid contributor with a couple standout moments. He hit a go-ahead double in an eighth-inning comeback against the Cubs during opening weekend and blasted a walk-off grand slam against the Mariners. Naylor is a free agent this winter, and adding him before the season was a win-now move.
Cecconi was a homegrown pitcher for the Diamondbacks who showed flashes but failed to sustain consistent success in the big leagues. He pitched in 20 games in 2024 with a 6.66 ERA. Cecconi found better success with some of his secondary pitches this season and even started a playoff game for the Guardians. He is under team control until 2031.
The Diamondbacks needed someone like Naylor to continue pushing the ball downfield with the loss of Walker, and he played well, even though the team underachieved. The Guardians made the playoffs without Naylor, but their offense was poor and a reason for their early exit after making the ALCS in 2024. If Cecconi builds on this year and is a rotation staple moving forward, that’s a nice pickup for Cleveland.
Josh Naylor trade 2: Diamondbacks trade 1B Josh Naylor to Seattle for LHP Brandyn Garcia and RHP Ashton Izzi
Garcia stats with Diamondbacks: 12 games, 12.1 innings, 5.84 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 2.49 FIP, -0.1 bWAR
Naylor stats with Mariners: 54 games, .299/.341/.490, nine home runs, 19 stolen bases, 2.2 bWAR
The beginning of the fire sale commenced a week before the trade deadline, as the Diamondbacks dealt Naylor to the contending Mariners for two pitching prospects.
Naylor starred for the Mariners, who won the American League West for the first time since 2001. Naylor finished the year with 30 stolen bases and 20 home runs.
Garcia is a 6-foot-4, left-handed reliever with an upper 90s heater and wipeout sweeper/slider. Despite struggling in his final appearance of the year, which marred his season stats, Garcia showed promise with seven straight scoreless outings in which he struck out nine batters without a walk.
Izzi got off to a nice start in High-A Hillsboro, as he worked a 3.58 ERA in six starts, striking out 26 batters to seven walks.
In aggregate, the Diamondbacks traded Cecconi and the No. 70 overall pick for 93 games of Naylor plus Garcia and Izzi.
Randal Grichuk trade: Diamondbacks trade OF Randal Grichuk to Kansas City RHP Andrew Hoffmann
Hoffmann stats with Diamondbacks: 8 games, 7.1 innings, 7.36 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 5.45 FIP, 7 strikeouts, 6 walks, -0.3 bWAR
Grichuk stats with Royals: 43 games, .206/.267/.299, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, -0.4 bWAR
Grichuk was an obvious trade candidate as a veteran bat on an expiring contract who would not cost a top prospect. He went to Kansas City, a deal that did not pay off for the Royals as he his .206 with a .566 OPS after the trade.
Hoffmann came to Arizona with a mid-90s fastball and limited MLB experience. The 25-year-old allowed one earned run in his first five appearances before he hit a wall and was optioned. The jury is out, but he is one of many young options for the bullpen looking forward.
Eugenio Suarez trade: Diamondbacks trade 3B Eugenio Suarez to Seattle for 1B Tyler Locklear, RHP Juan Burgos and RHP Hunter Cranton
Locklear stats with Diamondbacks: 31 games, .175/.267/.262, 3 home runs, 6 RBIs, -1.1 bWAR
Burgos stats with Diamondbacks: 9 games, 6.2 innings, 8.10 ERA, 2.40 WHIP, 7.94 FIP, 6 strikeouts, 6 walks, -0.5 bWAR
Suarez stats with Mariners: 53 games, .189/.255/.428, 13 home runs, 31 RBIs, 79 strikeouts, 0.3 bWAR
On trade deadline eve, the Diamondbacks traded their premier power threat who clubbed 36 home runs with two months to play. Suarez, also on an expiring contract, went hit .189 with 13 home runs for the Mariners, as his 50th long ball of the year came during the NLDS in Detroit. His OPS after the trade was .682, as he cooled off in Seattle.
Locklear, 24, had a hard time getting going offensively with a .529 OPS in 31 games before suffering shoulder and elbow injuries that will likely land him on the injured list to start 2026. Burgos, 25, pitched nine games for Arizona, starting with six scoreless before a four-run outing ballooned his ERA. Cranton, 24, went on the minor league IL and did not pitch after the trade.
The Diamondbacks received some criticism for the seemingly lighter package at the time. Locklear brought potential to be the first baseman of the future coming off a dominant stretch in Triple-A, and while strikeouts piled up on him, it is still early in his career.
Merrill Kelly trade: Diamondbacks trade RHP Merrill Kelly to Texas for LHP Kohl Drake, LHP Mitch Bratt and RHP David Hagaman
Kelly stats with Rangers: 10 starts, 55.1 innings, 4.23 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 4.18 FIP, 46 strikeouts, 10 walks, -0.1 bWAR
For the first time since 2019, the Diamondbacks broke up the Kelly-Zac Gallen duo in the rotation, shipping Kelly to Texas. Kelly had been Arizona’s most consistent starting pitcher of 2025 leading up to the trade, but the writing was on the wall given his expiring contract and the team’s 51-58 record. Arizona received three pitching prospects, with Drake seen as closest to MLB ready having pitched in Triple-A.
Kelly did not close the door on returning to Arizona in free agency, which would make the value of this trade look particularly high.
At the same time, Arizona made an unexpected run at the postseason after the deadline, and Kelly could have come in handy during that stretch.
Shelby Miller trade: Diamondbacks trade RHP Shelby Miller and LHP Jordan Montgomery to Milwaukee for cash considerations
Miller stats with Brewers: 11 games, 9.2 innings, 5.59 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 4.48 FIP, 14 strikeouts, 4 walks, -0.1 bWAR
To save money on Montgomery’s contract, the D-backs gifted Miller to the Brewers. Ultimately, the trade did not work for Milwaukee, considering Miller had to get Tommy John surgery before the end of the year. Montgomery had Tommy John surgery previously and was a dead-weight contract.
Leaving the bullpen compromised in a salary dump did not look great optically when the Diamondbacks needed every win they could get to chase a Wild Card spot, but with Miller having already been on the IL, the risk factor with him already appeared to be pretty high.
Diamondbacks free agent signings
(AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
RHP Corbin Burnes: 6 years, $210 million with opt-out after 2026
2025 stats: 11 starts, 64.1 innings, 2.66 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 3.94 FIP, 1.9 bWAR
A holiday season stunner, the Diamondbacks lit up the baseball world by signing arguably the top starting pitcher on the market despite a lack of smoke. Burnes wanted to pitch close to his home base in the Valley, the Diamondbacks had not planned on spending on a player of Burnes’ caliber, but the opportunity was too great.
And Burnes got on a roll with a 1.84 ERA over his last eight starts before he walked off the mound on June 1. Tommy John surgery ended his 2025 season after 11 appearances and will knock him out for the first half of 2026.
The Diamondbacks have experienced misfortune with signing big-name pitchers over the past decade, but this time, Burnes was pitching great and suffered a serious injury for the first time.
What version will they get back next season, and can he be the club’s difference-maker down the stretch?
OF/DH Randal Grichuk: 1 year, $5 million with a $5 million mutual option for 2026
2025 stats: 113 games, .228/.273/.401, 9 home runs, 27 RBIs, -0.8 bWAR
This was a low-risk move for a platoon bat to crush lefties like Grichuk did in 2024 (.875 OPS). The veteran outfielder took a step back in 2025 with a .734 OPS and seven home runs in 70 games before he was traded.
RHP Kendall Graveman: 1 year, $1.4 million
2025 stats: 19 games, 17.2 innings, 7.13 ERA, 1.98 WHIP, 5.80 FIP, 9 strikeouts, 12 walks, -0.4 bWAR
Having been solid from 2021-23 and missing all of 2024 with a shoulder injury, Graveman joined the Diamondbacks as a flier for a bullpen that needed a lot more depth than was apparent in spring training. The deal was the most expensive for a reliever Arizona made entering 2025, and it did not work. Graveman just couldn’t stay healthy, and when he was, the results were poor.
LHP Jalen Beeks: 1 year, $1.25 million
2025 stats: 61 games, 57.1 innings, 3.77 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 4.01 FIP, 47 strikeouts, 20 walks, 0.9 bWAR
The Diamondbacks found some value with under-the-radar and minor league signings, a group that included Beeks, catcher James McCann, infielder Ildemaro Vargas, pitcher Shelby Miller, pitcher John Curtiss and pitcher Juan Morillo.
Beeks was let go by Houston out of camp and landed a one-year deal with Arizona. Beeks ended up leading the D-backs in appearances with 61, throwing to a 3.77 ERA and filling roles from late-innings reliever to opener.
RHP Shelby Miller: 1 year, $1 million
2025 stats: 37 games, 36.1 innings, 1.98 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 3.16 FIP, 40 strikeouts, 15 walks, 1.6 bWAR
Miller signed a minor league deal in spring training, made the team and eventually became the closer before a forearm strain put him on the IL in June. It was a comeback story for the 34-year-old after his first stint with the club from 2016-18 went disastrously.
C James McCann: 1 year, $1 million
2025 stats: 42 games, .260/.324/.431, 5 home runs, 1.0 bWAR
McCann filled a sizable role with catcher Gabriel Moreno injured for much of the second half, and he continued to start games down the stretch while receiving praise for his game-calling and defense. The D-backs signed him in June, as he had been playing minor league ball for Atlanta.
Curtiss and Morillo were minor league signings who combined for 72 appearances out of the bullpen. Morillo at 26 years old may work himself into the unit’s future plans.
