Wednesday, October 14

Welcome to the D-backs Beat Newsletter! I’m Steve Gilbert and I’ve been writing about the D-backs since 1998...

As the playoffs heat up, the Diamondbacks are getting ready for the Hot Stove season. Let’s take a look at five questions they face this offseason:

What about the coaches?

The biggest question when the regular season ended was whether manager Torey Lovullo would return as his contract was set to expire on Oct. 31.

After taking a few days to unplug, Lovullo and the Diamondbacks reached an agreement that will keep the skipper in Arizona for another two seasons. Already easily the longest-tenured manager in team history, Lovullo will have been in Arizona for 12 years if he makes it to the end of this deal.

What remains unknown is the status of Lovullo's coaching staff. During the press conference to announce his extension last week, Lovullo said he needed some time to figure that out.

"I'm going to have some conversations, and I need to think through some things very clearly," he said. "To be honest with you, I haven't thought about it at all, and I want to be fair to that group. I told them on the last day [of the season] in San Diego that I didn't know what was happening with me, and once I figure that out, I will start to move downfield with the next group of decisions. I anticipate that I'll probably have that conversation starting right after this press conference, but I don't know what that answer is right now."

What will change with Ketel Marte?

The Diamondbacks spent last offseason listening to offers for Marte after his three-game absence just after the All-Star break created some displeasure among his teammates.

Ultimately, GM Mike Hazen did not get what he deemed a sufficient offer and the team held onto Marte.

In April, Marte achieved 10-and-5 rights (10 years service time, five with his current team) which gave him the power to veto any possible trade. At that time it looked like Marte was in Arizona to stay.

However, in August, Marte didn’t show up for a game in Boston leading to a two-week absence from the team during a pennant race.

Now, once again, Arizona enters the offseason with the biggest question being whether Marte will return. With him having the power to veto a trade, it's now a more complicated question.

"We are going to look hard at this roster and focus on making decisions to put us in the best position to make the playoffs next year," Hazen said.

What about an extension for Moreno?

Catcher Gabriel Moreno took yet another step forward in 2026 -- finishing third in the National League in fWAR with a 6.7 mark behind only Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and Brewers second baseman Brice Turang. Moreno will almost surely draw a number of MVP votes as a result.

In addition to his usual stellar defense, Moreno carried Arizona’s offense at times, particularly down the stretch, while he became the first catcher since Buster Posey in 2012 to win a batting title.

The Diamondbacks still have the 26-year-old under club control for the next two seasons, but it's possible they could look to work out an extension with him this offseason to keep him around longer than his current deal.

Who's on first?

After being spoiled for years with Paul Goldschmidt and Christian Walker at first base, the position became a problem spot in 2026.

Ildemaro Vargas' amazing April aside, the position was a black hole for the Diamondbacks, who cycled through many different options throughout the season.

Last year's free-agent signing of Carlos Santana proved to be a bust, so once again, Arizona heads into this offseason looking to fill the position. Getting a left-handed hitter for the spot would be a plus as the Diamondbacks struggled this year against right-handed pitching.

How do they keep the bullpen strong?

If there was one area that you could say hampered Arizona prior to last season it was the bullpen. Aside from Paul Sewald's strong second half and postseason run in 2023, closing out games had been an issue for the Diamondbacks.

Not so in ‘26, as the bullpen was the strongest part of the team and helped carry the club to within a couple of games of an NL Wild Card berth.

Key contributors like Juan Morillo, Justin Martinez, Brandyn Garcia are still under control, but Jonathan Loáisiga, Kevin Ginkel, A.J. Puk, Ryan Thompson, Taylor Clarke and Dennis Santana are all free agents.

The core of the bullpen is strong, but Hazen will have to find a way to add the needed depth if the team wants it to once again be a big strength.

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