Arizona’s asking price is reportedly somewhere between high and exorbitant. Adds Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic more details, reporting that a club that inquired with the Diamondbacks came away with the belief that an “established, well-regarded” starting pitcher was needed And multiple additional pieces of value – presumably controllable young top players or near MLB-ready prospects.
While Marte has been linked to a slew of teams so far, not all of them are serious about the chase. Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports this that even though the Blue Jays have signed on, their interest is more a matter of due diligence than aggressively trying to get a deal done. The premise of an established young rotation piece would be difficult for the Jays to incorporate into their offering, Nicholson-Smith notes, and Trey Yesavage is really the only player on the roster who fits that role (and that would most likely be an understandable breaking point for the Jays). In the same way, suggests Alex Speier of the Boston Globe that while the Red Sox have explored the possibility, Boston hasn’t been as aggressive in discussing Marte with the D-backs.
Marte, 32, is owed $102.5 million over the next six seasons, although the sixth year of his contract is a player option worth $11.5 million. That’s a big commitment, but also less than he would receive now in free agency, hitting .283/.368/.519 over the past three seasons (.283/.376/.517 in 2025). Moving Marte would theoretically give the Diamondbacks an immediate rotation piece, several young players and $15 million in immediate payroll flexibility that could be used to bolster the bullpen and/or infield corners (or perhaps add even more rotation depth).
That said, the team is pursuing these goals even while listening to their star infielder. Moving Marte, or losing salary in general, is not a prerequisite for the Diamondbacks to further fill out the roster. RosterResource projects currently them for a salary of $151 million after yesterday’s $7.5 million deal with the starting pitcher Michael Soroka. Owner Ken Kendrick has said payroll will decrease this season, but no concrete figure has been given. The D-backs are down more than $35 million from opening day last season. There is room to spend money, even if the budget is reduced.
The Soroka deal speaks to that, as do some of the team’s other pursuits. Arizona and right-handed Merrill Kelly reportedly have mutual interest in an extension. The Snakes are reported to be interested in closer Pete Fairbanks. Just this morning, Piecoro reported that former Braves reliever Pierce Johnson is also interesting to the Diamondbacks.
Johnson, 35 in May, has spent the past two-plus seasons in Atlanta after going from the Rockies to the Braves at the 2023 trade deadline. He turned things around during a brutal ’23 season after that trade, pitching to a 0.76 ERA for his new club and earning a two-year, $14.25 million extension. In all, Johnson totaled 139 innings and posted a decent 2.91 earned run average during his time calling Truist Park home.
The Braves somewhat surprisingly declined a 2026 club option on Johnson, valued at $7 million, in favor of a $250,000 buyout. Given Johnson’s results in Atlanta and the modest (net) price tag of $6.75 million, there was a strong argument for choosing the option.
Maybe Atlanta was concerned about Johnson’s poor finish to the season. Nearly half of the runs he allowed this year came during the final month of play. Starting on August 25, Johnson allowed nine runs on 19 hits and three walks. Four of those 19 punches left the yard. His strikeout rate dropped nearly three percentage points, and his average fastball dropped about 0.7 mph.
That could set the stage for Johnson to sign a one-year deal — or perhaps a two-year pact at a lower AAV than the $7 million Atlanta rejected. That kind of price would work well for a D-backs club trying to add multiple starters and multiple relievers relatively affordably. However, one move that won’t generate as many headlines but could still pay notable dividends for the team’s pitching hopes happened earlier today on the front office side.
Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported this morning that Jeremy Bleichthe Pirates’ director of pitching development, is leaving the organization to join the Diamondbacks as assistant general manager.
Bleich, 38, is a Stanford product who was selected by the Yankees with the 44th overall pick in 2008. He made one major league appearance on the mound with the Athletics in 2018, but ended his playing career after the 2019 season. Bleich has been with the Pirates since 2020 and has played a role in helping cultivate the organization’s enviable pipeline of young pitching talent. Paul Skenes would likely develop into an ace wherever he ended up, but the Bucs have had a high conversion rate on second- and third-round picks, such as Braxton Ashcraft, Jared Jones, Bubba Chandler And Hunter Barcoamong others, and have seen lower picks (e.g. 11th-rounder Mike Burrows) develop into quality contributors to the big league. The Diamondbacks, on the other hand, have struggled to complete the development of their top pitching positions in recent seasons.
Diamondbacks prospects who have ranked at the top of their system but have yet to find success in the majors in recent years include Brandon Pfaadt, Bryce Jarvis, Blake Walston, Corbin Martin And Dray Jamesonjust to name a few. Since 2019 Ryne Nelson is the only pitcher the D-backs have drafted and even received three total WAR in the majors. Bleich obviously can’t be solely credited with the Pirates’ success in pitching development, but it’s not at all surprising to see the Snakes pry a prominent name in pitching development away from a rival club as they look to improve their fortunes going forward.
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