A fan-written offseason plan sees the D-backs at about 80 wins (79.9) as constructed, with 85 as the realistic ceiling. The path: overhaul a bottom-third rotation, work around a payroll Ken Kendrick says will shrink, and possibly trade Ketel Marte. 📉
Fans recalled the 2026 D-backs well: about 80 quiz attempts averaged 70%. Ketel Marte and Corbin Carroll led at 98.7%, while Zack Littell (22%) finished last. Twelve of the bottom 13 were relievers. 🧠
The Diamondbacks have reportedly agreed to hire Padres bullpen coach Ben Fritz as pitching coach, replacing Brian Kaplan, though details aren't final. Fritz's Padres relievers ranked first in fWAR in 2026. Rest of the staff reportedly stays intact. 🔧
The D-backs reportedly plan to hire Padres bullpen coach Ben Fritz as pitching coach, replacing Brian Kaplan, per The Athletic's Dennis Lin. His to-do list: fix Merrill Kelly, revive Corbin Burnes, and keep the bullpen gains. Busy man. 🔧
Michael Soroka declined his $10MM mutual option, taking a $1MM buyout and heading to free agency after a 3.41 ERA over 116 innings. A reunion is possible, but Mike Hazen downplayed big spending on a starter. 📉
The D-backs are reportedly set to hire Padres bullpen coach Ben Fritz as pitching coach, replacing Brian Kaplan after two seasons. Final details remain, and the club hasn't confirmed. Owen Dew and Wellington Cepeda would reportedly return. 🧢
MLB Trade Rumors (Diamondbacks): Diamondbacks To Hire Ben Fritz As Pitching Coach
Demetrio Crisantes, the D-backs' No. 1 prospect, climbed from High-A to Triple-A Reno in 2026. He's now hitting .281/.349/.421 with six steals in 14 Arizona Fall League games, and he's working on second-base defense. A Tucson native, he's closing in on Chase Field. 🌵
D-backs GM Mike Hazen wants a controllable starter, likely via trade, since payroll is shrinking. Soroka and Gallen hit free agency, leaving Rodriguez, Pfaadt, Burnes, Kelly and Nelson. A 4.28 rotation ERA says upgrades are due. ⚾
Arizona reportedly will explore Ketel Marte trades and has gotten preliminary interest, though nothing is close. A 10-and-5 veto right arrives in April, complicating things. Hazen wants to "shake the team up" after a third straight near-miss on the playoffs.
Offseason clock is running: eight D-backs, including Gallen, Ginkel and Soroka, hit free agency, shrinking the 40-man from 39 to 31. Gold Glove news comes Nov. 1, tender decisions land Nov. 20, and a Dec. 1 CBA expiration looms over everything. 🗓️
Corbin Burnes won't opt out and stays in Arizona: $140M through 2030, $35M a year from 2027, with $11M deferred annually. After Tommy John surgery and shoulder inflammation, he managed three 2026 starts and a 7.84 ERA. The D-backs are betting on a full offseason. 🎲
MLB Trade Rumors (Diamondbacks): Corbin Burnes Will Not Opt Out Of Diamondbacks Deal
MLB Network's "Destined: The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks" airs tonight at 5 pm AZ time, marking 25 years since the title. It looks past Game 7 to the clubhouse chemistry, Brenly's loose touch and that record-old lineup. 🐍
Chris Garagiola is the D-backs' new TV play-by-play voice on DBACKS.TV starting in 2027. The third-generation D-back will call games from the "Joe Garagiola Broadcast Booth," following his grandfather. Family legacy, now with a headset. 🎙️
MLB Network's new documentary marks 25 years since the D-backs' 2001 title. The expansion club, just four years old, beat the three-time defending champion Yankees in Game 7, winning in the bottom of the ninth against Mariano Rivera. 🏆
Snake Bytes 10/28 looks ahead to the offseason: which Diamondbacks are entering free agency, a look back at the 10 walk-off wins that led the league in Arizona's 2026 season, and the key dates for a likely abbreviated Hot Stove. 🐍
Michael Soroka, who went 9-5 with a 3.41 ERA and 114 strikeouts for Arizona in 2026, is floated as a Blue Jays free-agent target. He likely won't exercise his $10M 2027 mutual option, which would send him to the open market. 🔍
A review of Tyler Kepner's "K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches" tracks the Diamondbacks' ties: Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling and Luis Gonzalez's 2001 Game 7 cutter single. It also pegs signature pitches for Nelson, Kelly, Burnes and Gallen. ⚾
Diamondbacks free agency looms once the World Series ends, with Zac Gallen and Kevin Ginkel among the pitchers hitting the market. Ginkel, a 2016 draftee, led Arizona with a career-high 74 appearances and posted a 4.12 ERA over 67.2 IP.
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