PHOENIX (AP/AZFamily) — Veteran starting pitcher Merrill Kelly agreed to return to the Arizona Diamondbacks on a $40 million, two-year deal.
The team confirmed the move on Friday, welcoming the veteran back home to the Valley of the Sun.
“Tell a friend to tell a friend… he’s baaaaack,” the team posted on X.
The right-hander spent the first 6 1/2 years of his career with the Diamondbacks before the pending free agent was dealt to the Texas Rangers at this year’s trade deadline in July. He was good for both teams, finishing with a combined 12-9 record and 3.52 ERA.
We have agreed to terms with RHP Merrill Kelly on a 2-year contract with a vesting option for 2028.
— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) December 19, 2025
Kelly’s return to the desert isn’t a huge surprise considering he’s a Scottsdale native and played in college at Arizona State. He is also a graduate of Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale.
The fan favorite was a key piece of the team that went to the World Series in 2023. He had a 12-8 record and a 3.29 ERA that season, adding a masterful performance in Game 2 of the World Series against the Rangers, which is the only game the D-backs would win in the Fall Classic.
The 37-year-old doesn’t have overpowering stuff but thrives thanks to a six-pitch mix that keeps hitters off balance. He has carved out a solid MLB career despite not making his debut until he was 30 in 2019.
He was drafted in 2010 by the Tampa Bay Rays but got stuck in Triple A before electing to sign with the SK Wyverns of the Korean Baseball Organization from 2015 to 2018, going 48-32 with a 3.86 ERA.
The Diamondbacks liked what they saw and signed him to a $14.5 million, four-year deal in 2018.
He agreed to an $18 million, two-year deal with Arizona in 2022 that covered the 2023 and 2024 seasons and included a club option for 2025 that the D-backs exercised.
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