The Diamondbacks are finalizing a contract with right-hander Merrill Kelly, in keeping with a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Rosenthal provides that it’s a two-year, $40MM pact. Jon Heyman of The New York Submit provides that the deal is pending a bodily. Arizona has a full 40-man roster, so a corresponding transfer can be crucial earlier than Kelly’s deal can turn into official.
Kelly, 37, returns to the staff with which he has spent practically his complete main league profession. Although initially drafted by the Rays within the eighth-round of the 2010 draft, Kelly made his huge league debut with the Diamondbacks again in 2019 after a four-season keep in Korea as a member of the KBO’s SK Wyverns (now referred to as the SSG Landers). After a pedestrian rookie marketing campaign within the majors the place he pitched to a league-average ERA in 32 begins, Kelly managed to style a task for himself as one of many higher mid-rotation arms within the majors.
For the reason that begin of the 2022 marketing campaign, Kelly has pitched to a 3.47 ERA (120 ERA+) in 108 begins. He’s struck out 23.1% of his opponents whereas strolling 7.7% in that point, leaving him with a 3.81 FIP. Whereas Kelly’s peripherals (together with a 4.03 SIERA) forged him as a step down out of your prototypical front-end starter, the veteran has managed to stay a high quality rotation piece consuming innings at a excessive degree (with a minimum of 175 innings of labor in three of the final 4 seasons) and endeared himself to followers in Arizona when he delivered an excellent 2.25 ERA in the course of the membership’s run to the World Sequence in 2023.
Amid a disappointing 2025 season the place the Diamondbacks had been ravaged by accidents to everybody from star closers Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk to newly-signed ace Corbin Burnes, the staff engaged in a sell-off at this yr’s commerce deadline and shipped Kelly to the Rangers in alternate for a trio of pitching prospects. Kelly put up uninspiring numbers throughout ten begins with the Rangers, posting a 4.23 ERA and near-matching 4.18 FIP throughout 55 1/3 innings of labor. Even whereas the veteran was in Texas, an offseason reunion with the Diamondbacks was already being speculated upon. “Particular” curiosity in a reunion with Kelly was reported on Arizona’s aspect shortly earlier than final week’s Winter Conferences, and now the edges have come collectively on a deal.
Turning to the deal itself, Kelly’s $40MM assure clocks in simply forward of the 2 years and $36MM MLBTR predicted for the right-hander when rating him because the #25 free agent on this offseason’s High 50 MLB Free Brokers listing. Maybe that slight premium the Diamondbacks paid for Kelly’s providers was the price of leaping the market; whereas the free agent marketplace for place gamers and particularly relievers has kicked into gear in an enormous approach already, Kelly is simply the third beginning pitcher from MLBTR’s High 50 to signal a contract this offseason. He joins Dylan Stop and Cody Ponce, each of whom obtained ensures that barely eclipsed MLBTR’s prediction.
Now that he’s set to return to Arizona, Kelly stands as the favourite to start out for the Diamondbacks on Opening Day this yr. He’ll be a part of a rotation that already added Michael Soroka earlier this offseason whereas reuniting with former teammates Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt, and Ryne Nelson. Burnes could possibly be an element later within the season however shouldn’t be anticipated to pitch till someday within the second half of the season. Whereas the staff’s rotation actually appears to be like rather more full with Kelly again within the fold, bringing the right-hander again into the fold shouldn’t cease the staff from pursuing different rotation additions after the membership’s pitching employees completed nineteenth within the majors with a 4.29 ERA final yr.
After all, including past this might show to be simpler mentioned than finished. The Diamondbacks are projected for a payroll simply north of $171MM in 2026, in keeping with RosterResource. That rises to north of $205MM for luxurious tax functions. GM Mike Hazen has prompt that, whereas Arizona’s payroll would possible be transferring downward from its 2025 degree, that might nonetheless go away the staff with room to spend. The membership spent $188MM on its payroll final season, nevertheless, that means they at the moment sit lower than $17MM from that mark.
Maybe that leaves sufficient wiggle room to reunite with Paul Goldschmidt on an inexpensive one-year deal, a transfer the Diamondbacks have been mentioned to be considering, however Kelly will certainly go down because the staff’s greatest expenditure except a rise in payroll is permitted or the staff makes a commerce that clears wage. To that latter level, the new range has been burning with Ketel Marte commerce buzz in latest weeks. Transferring Marte will surely clear payroll off the books, although Hazen has persistently downplayed the probability of a deal surrounding Marte really coming collectively.
