Snake Bytes: 11/14 - Veteran Bats

Diamondbacks News

Director of player development talks D-backs’ AFL showing

Barfield: “Justin Martinez had a really good Fall League. This year was a big challenge for a guy coming off Tommy John surgery who had never played above Low-A coming into the season. He touched three levels and the Fall League this year, and he never looked overmatched.

Diamondbacks’ Torey Lovullo would like veteran hitter added to lineup, clubhouse in 2023

Lovullo, speaking Friday morning from the team’s nonprofit Celebrity Golf Classic, believes perceptions about the Diamondbacks are shifting, something that could play in his team’s favor in free agency.

Lovullo said he would be in favor of adding one of those free agents to the team, noting that his young position-player group could benefit from the sort of sage wisdom of an experienced veteran.

Arizona Diamondbacks expected to show interest in free-agent Evan Longoria

Longoria told reporters last month that if he did not return to the Giants, the only other places he was interested in playing were Arizona or Tampa, where he began his career. He said he has homes in both places.

Hazen: Diamondbacks Have Flexibility For At Least Slight Payroll Bump

“I think we’re going to have some room to move,” Hazen told reporters at the GM Meetings “When we’ve felt like the team has gotten better, (owner Ken Kendrick) has usually given us leeway to maneuver. I think that’s going to be the case to some degree. I don’t know that we’re going to get to levels where we’ve been in the recent past, but I think we’re going to have some flexibility to do some things. I think the talent on our team warrants some additional good players.”

Analysis: Trading an outfielder would be bold move for Arizona Diamondbacks

Two of them seem highly unlikely to be dealt: Carroll, because he has the highest ceiling, and Varsho, because he is the most established on a team looking to contend next year.

If the Diamondbacks were to trade McCarthy, they would be dealing not just a player who performed well, but one whose style exemplifies how they want their team to play.

If they were to trade Thomas, they might be doing so when his value might be down — and they would be trading a player who ranked among Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects for three years running. Which is to say, they would be moving the player the industry has long held in higher regard.

If they trade McCarthy, they would need to be right about Thomas, certain that he would adjust and thrive after this year’s struggles.

If they trade Thomas, they would need to be sure that McCarthy — who not long ago was viewed by scouts as more of an extra outfielder — is, in fact, more than that.

Arizona Diamondbacks offseason: 5 free agent candidates for team’s next designated hitter

The Diamondbacks were one of only five NL teams that received worse than 10% below league average offense from their designated hitters, according to wRC+.

Marlins To Hire Luis Urueta As Bench Coach

Urueta, 41, has spent the past decade and a half in the Diamondbacks organization. After a lengthy run coaching and managing in the minors, he was bumped up to Torey Lovullo’s big league staff heading into 2018. He was promoted to bench coach in 2020, a year that also saw him attract some attention from the Red Sox during their managerial search. After two years as bench coach, he was reassigned to a minor league instructional role last offseason.

Around The MLB

Why player evaluation is trickier in MLB free agency, trades thanks to a changing rulebook and baseball

Most of the sources who spoke to CBS Sports were hesitant to say that player evaluation has become harder. What they did concede is that certain player profiles now have a wider range of potential outcomes. That, in turn, can make it tougher to know exactly what numbers you’ll receive from the player, since it hinges on outside factors. Think: hitters whose slugging production hinged on the rabbit ball, or relievers who slathered themselves in SpiderTack to up their swing-and-miss rates.

Astros To Re-Sign Rafael Montero

Rafael Montero and the Astros are in agreement on a three-year, $34.5MM deal. Montero is the third elite reliever to fall off the board early, after the Padres re-signed Robert Suarez and the Mets held on to Edwin Diaz.

Padres To Re-Sign Robert Suarez

The Padres have made a massive strike to keep one of their top free agents. San Diego is reportedly in agreement with reliever Robert Suarez on a five-year, $46MM guarantee that allows him to opt out after the 2025 campaign. Suarez, a Don Nomura client, had declined a $5MM player option earlier this week.

Astros Part Ways With General Manager James Click

It’s a bizarre and largely unprecedented dismissal, though not one that comes as a total surprise. Reports suggesting friction between Crane and Click date back more than a month now, although the general expectation was that if Houston managed to win the World Series, Click would be retained. Crane technically gave his GM that opportunity, but only in the form of a one-year extension. Extensions of just one year for a lame-duck GM are rare in the first place, and putting forth that type of offer on the heels three consecutive ALCS appearances, two straight World Series berths and, of course, a 2022 World Series victory, seems like little more than a lowball offer.

Astros Fire Assistant General Manager Scott Powers

After Click was removed from the picture, it had been hypothesized that some of his hires would also be let go, and that has indeed come to pass with Powers getting sent out the door behind Click. Powers was the Dodgers director of quantitative analysis up until he was hired by the Astros in January of 2022.