Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks and second baseman Ketel Marte have agreed to a six-year, $116.5 million contract extension, which replaces his old five-year, $76 million contract signed in 2022.

Marte's agent, Charisse Dash, confirmed the news to ESPN's Jesse Rogers.

MLB insider Mike Rodriguez was first on the extension news, with Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic providing details.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post offered more insight, noting the deal can max out at $149.5 million.

Marte is a two-time All-Star who helped lead the Diamondbacks to the 2023 NL pennant, winning the NL Championship Series MVP. He also finished third in the 2024 NL MVP race last year, hitting .292 (.932 OPS) with 36 home runs and 95 RBI while earning Silver Slugger honors.

It's no surprise that Arizona got a deal done with the 31-year-old Marte, who has been an invaluable member of the franchise in recent years.

Marte has been on the Diamondbacks since 2017 after playing his first two seasons with the Seattle Mariners, who traded him and Taijuan Walker to the Diamondbacks for Zac Curtis, Mitch Haniger and Jean Segura.

He's had some big seasons for Arizona ever since, including 2019, when he finished fourth in the NL MVP race and earned his first-ever All-Star honor with 32 home runs, 92 RBI and a .329 batting average (.981 OPS).

However, Marte was at his best during the 2023 playoffs, when he hit .329 (.914 OPS) alongside a pair of homers and 11 RBI in 17 games. He hit .387 in the NLCS against a heavily favored Philadelphia Phillies team that had 2-0 and 3-2 series leads before falling to Arizona in seven.

Marte continued his fantastic success into 2024, and he's still a key member of the team as the Diamondbacks look to bounce back from a tough season that saw them lose out on making the playoffs after finishing on the wrong end of a tiebreaker.

He's now under contract through the 2020s as Arizona, whose championship window remains open after adding ace Corbin Burnes to the mix, looks for another deep playoff run.

The Arizona Diamondbacks and starting pitcher Brandon Pfaadt have reportedly agreed to a five-year, $45 million contract extension.

Arizona confirmed that the two sides reached an agreement, while Bob Nightengale of USA Today provided the contract details.

The 26-year-old right-hander went 11-10 with a 4.71 ERA (1.24 WHIP) last season. He struck out 185 batters in 181.2 innings over 32 starts.

Pfaadt made his MLB debut in 2023. He didn't fare particularly well during the regular season (5.72 ERA, 1.41 WHIP), but the then-rookie made a major impact in the playoffs en route to guiding the Diamondbacks to the National League pennant.

Over five starts, Pfaadt had a 3.27 ERA (1.09 WHIP), striking out 26 batters in 22 innings. The Diamondbacks won four of his five starts, including two victories in the NL Championship Series over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Pfaadt then became a reliable mainstay in the 2024 Diamondbacks rotation, to the point where he finished tied for seventh in the National League in innings pitched.

Now he's signed with the Diamondbacks for the remainder of the decade. After the news broke, he spoke with reporters about the extension.

Pfaadt is slated to make his 2025 debut on Saturday at home against the Chicago Cubs.

After a rough 2024 season, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jordan Montgomery is going to miss all of 2025 due to an elbow injury.

Montgomery told reporters on Tuesday he will undergo Tommy John surgery after his arm wasn't recovering like it normally did when he pitches.

Montgomery's spring got off to a delayed start due to a finger injury suffered in a bullpen session at his home right before camp started, but he said the doctor "didn't seem too worried" about it being a long-term issue.

The Diamondbacks finally got Montgomery back on the mound for his first spring start on March 8, though he only recorded one out, allowed five runs and threw 28 pitches.

Things looked better for Montgomery in his second spring outing. He threw 2.2 scoreless innings against the Colorado Rockies on March 19.

Per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, Montgomery felt some pain in his left elbow during that start against the Rockies and underwent an MRI that determined he needed Tommy John surgery.

This adds another frustrating chapter in Montgomery's tenure with the Diamondbacks. He went unsigned until two days before the start of last season when Arizona gave him a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $25 million, plus a vesting option for 2025 based on the number of starts he made in 2024.

The option wound up vesting at $22.5 million since Montgomery started 21 games. He wasn't effective for the Diamondbacks, posting a 6.23 ERA in 117 innings.

It seemed like Montgomery's tenure in Arizona wouldn't last into 2025 after D-Backs owner Ken Kendrick said publicly in October that it was a "horrible decision to have invested that money in a guy that performed as poorly as he did."

The Diamondbacks made efforts to trade Montgomery, but they reportedly wanted interested teams to pay $13.5 million of his 2025 salary.

Montgomery was great for the Texas Rangers down the stretch and into the playoffs in 2023 to help them win the World Series. The southpaw had a 2.79 ERA in 11 regular-season starts with the Rangers after being acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals.

In six playoff appearances, Montgomery finished with a 2.90 ERA over 31 innings. He was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the ALCS against the Houston Astros, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings in relief.

A pair of veteran starting pitchers could be on the move this offseason.

Per ESPN's Buster Olney, "there is an assumption among other teams" that the New York Yankees want to move Marcus Stroman while the Arizona Diamondbacks want to trade Jordan Montgomery.

"There is an assumption among other teams that Jordan Montgomery and Marcus Stroman will move at some point, but there are execs who believe that won't happen until the Diamondbacks and Yankees agree to swallow a lot of money to make a deal happen," Olney wrote.

As Olney noted, both teams would likely need to eat some of their players' contracts in order to find a trade for them.

Stroman's vesting option makes him a hard sell as he'll have a player option to make $18.3 million next year if he pitches 140 innings in 2025. He pitched 154.2 innings for the Yankees last year.

According to Olney, one evaluator compared the two pitchers to Martin Perez, who signed with the Chicago White Sox for $5 million earlier this month. Stroman is slated to make $18.3 million in 2025 and could make the same figure in 2026 if he reaches 140 innings. Montgomery is set to earn $22.5 million this year before becoming a free agent in 2026.

Stroman, 33, recorded 113 strikeouts with a 4.31 ERA and 1.47 WHIP last season. He was not on the Yankees' roster in the AL Division Series and did not make any appearances in the postseason as New York reached the World Series.

Stroman was a valuable contributor during the regular season and manager Aaron Boone even said in December that he "was one of the reasons we were able to win the division and get through the playoffs," per The Athletic's Brendan Kuty.

As much as the Yankees could use Stroman in case their rotation gets hit with injuries, trading him and saving money to avoid a major luxury tax penalty might be worth it.

Montgomery, in his first season with the Diamondbacks, made 25 appearances, recording the second-highest ERA of his career at 6.23 and the second-worst WHIP of his career at 1.65.

There's always a chance Montgomery could rebound in 2025, but for such a high price point, Arizona might not want to take the risk of another disastrous season.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have obtained first baseman Josh Naylor from the Cleveland Guardians in a trade, the team announced Saturday.

ESPN's Jeff Passan first reported the terms of the trade:

Naylor wrapped up last season with a .243 batting average, 31 home runs and 108 RBI for the 92-69 Guardians.

The Guardians acquired right-handed pitcher Slade Cecconi and a competitive balance Round B draft pick in the trade.

In addition, 39-year-old first baseman Carlos Santana signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the Cleveland Guardians, pending a physical, immediately following the news of Naylor's departure, according to Passan.

Naylor began his career with the San Diego Padres in 2019 before spending five seasons with the Guardians. Last season with the Guardians, Naylor had a career year, setting personal bests in both RBI and home runs.

During the Guardians' postseason run, which ended with a 4-1 loss to the New York Yankees in the AL Championship Series, Naylor tallied two runs, nine hits and five RBI, posting a .225 batting average.

The signing comes just one day after former Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker reached a three-year, $60 million deal with the Houston Astros, leaving a significant gap in Arizona's infield.

Last season with the Diamondbacks, Walker hit 26 home runs, drove in 84 RBI and posted a .251 batting average, playing a key role in Arizona's 89-73 season.

Naylor will have big shoes to fill for an Arizona team aiming to return to the World Series, as they did in 2023.

The New York Yankees renewed contract talks with free-agent first baseman Christian Walker on Sunday night after losing out on the Juan Soto sweepstakes.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the exclusive on the 33-year-old Walker, a three-time Gold Glover who had 26 home runs, 84 RBI and an .803 OPS over 130 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season.

The Yankees have a need at first base after they declined their $17 million option on Anthony Rizzo, making him a free agent. New York could turn back to Ben Rice, who took over for an injured Rizzo after he suffered a forearm fracture following a June 16 collision.

But Rice struggled at the dish, hitting just .171 (.613 OPS) over 50 games. New York is probably best suited finding an external option.

Walker seems like a great fit given his pop and defensive prowess. And Jon Morosi of MLB Network recently said that Walker would be a greater priority for the team than another big-name first baseman, ex-New York Met Pete Alonso. Morosi cited the fact that Walker will command a shorter contract while also citing his defensive skills.

Walker was also cited as an "excellent clubhouse presence," per Sherman.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Yankees were reportedly willing to spend $760 million over 16 years to retain Soto, who went to the Mets for $765 million over 15 years.

So if the Yankees were willing to pay that much cash to Soto, then one can surmise they can reallocate those funds on other players to fill out their roster.

The money is clearly there for Walker, who MLB Trade Rumors projected to land a three-year, $60 million deal. That could end up being a steal as the Yankees look to improve from their AL pennant-winning season.

Despite Jordan Montgomery's disappointing inaugural season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, a trade involving the starter may not materialize.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on Thursday that "it's no secret" the Diamondbacks are open to moving Montgomery during the offseason, but team officials are "somewhat mixed" on the idea and envision a potential bounce-back 2025 campaign.

The 31-year-old exercised his $22.5 million player option to remain with Arizona on Nov. 1.

Montgomery was a free agent for most of the offseason following a stellar run in 2023 with the Texas Rangers, signing a one-year contract worth $25 million with a player option to join the Diamondbacks in March.

Despite maintaining a 3.48 ERA to go along with 486 strikeouts in 94 starts from 2021-23, the lefty wasn't productive throughout his first year in Arizona.

He finished with a record of 8-7 as well as a 6.23 ERA in 25 appearances last season, averaging a career-low 6.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He struck out 83 total batters and allowed 44 walks.

Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick criticized the signing of Montgomery during an Oct. 1 radio appearance on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.

"Looking back, in hindsight, a horrible decision to invest that money in a guy who performed as poorly as he did," Kendrick said, via the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "It's our biggest mistake this season from a talent standpoint. And I'm the perpetrator of that."

Arizona could retain Montgomery, although Kendrick's comments make the team's stance regarding the veteran's 2024 season clear.

It shouldn't be difficult to find a trade partner for him, as Will Sammon and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reported on Nov. 8 that the Diamondbacks have received "significant interest" from front offices searching for starting pitching options.

Montgomery isn't guaranteed to return to Arizona in 2025, but it appears that a second season with the organization is still a possibility.

Joc Pederson had an excellent season for the Arizona Diamondbacks last season, hitting .275 with 23 homers, 64 RBI, 62 runs and a career-best .923 OPS.

That should make him a popular target in free agency.

According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, "Several clubs looking for a left-handed hitting designated hitter are intrigued by Pederson," though the Diamondbacks "want Pederson back. The Tampa Bay Rays also could use him, though it's doubtful any free agent with options will choose to play at a minor-league ballpark in the summer Florida heat. The Texas Rangers are a more intriguing fit."

Rosenthal added that Pederson, a California native, "seemingly would prefer to stay west of the Mississippi," having signed with the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Diamondbacks as a free agent in previous years.

Like many players, however, his market may not develop into the bigger names find new homes like Juan Soto and Alex Bregman. But he's expected to be a popular target for teams looking to add options at DH.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are potentially willing to "eat" part of Jordan Montgomery's salary in order to find a trade partner for the left-handed starter, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Montgomery signed a one-year deal with the Diamondbacks after helping lead the Texas Rangers to the World Series in 2023. Earlier this month he exercised a $22.5 million vesting player option for the 2025 season.

Passan described Montgomery as "near the top of the list of players likeliest to get dealt" after he fell out of the Diamondbacks rotation in late August. He finished the season with a 6.23 ERA through 25 appearances and 117.0 innings pitched.

Montgomery had recorded a 3.48 ERA over three prior seasons split between the New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals and Rangers.

He did not sign with the Diamondbacks until March 29, leading him to miss spring training. The pitcher acknowledged early in the 2024 season that absence made it difficult for him to find a rhythm with his new team.

Montgomery's struggles continued as he logged a 6.25 ERA through his first 18 starts heading into an Aug. 21 start against the Miami Marlins. Facing a chance to pitch for his place in the rotation, Montgomery allowed six earned runs in 5.2 innings against a weak Marlins offense.

That start, combined with several strong performances from Ryne Nelson, was enough for the Diamondbacks to shift Montgomery to the bullpen two days later in what Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo called an "agonizing" decision.

After the conclusion of the season, Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick was harshly critical of the offseason signing of Montgomery, telling Arizona Sports it was "a horrible decision to have invested that money in a guy that performed as poorly as he did."

"It's our biggest mistake this season from a talent standpoint, and I'm the perpetrator of that," Kendrick said in October.

Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said earlier this month that he had met with Montgomery following Kendrick's comments, and expressed appreciation for Montgomery being "accountable" for his struggles in 2024.

Although Hazen did not shut the door on the possibility of Montgomery returning, the Diamondbacks have enough starting depth to look to move on from the struggling left-hander. As noted by the Associated Press' David Brandt, Arizona could be returning Nelson alongside other starters including Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt and Zac Gallen.

Hazen told reporters in August that the size of Montgomery's contract had not factored into the team's decision to remove him from the starting rotation, and that the D-backs would "deal with anything we have to" in order to have a better chance to win, per the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro.

The Diamondbacks might have to continue embracing that attitude if they are considering paying part of Montgomery's salary for him to play somewhere else next season.