The Diamondbacks Are Starting Behind the 8-Ball
The D-backs didn't solve many of their preexisting problems this offseason. Will that come back to bite them?
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The National League West is headlined by the Los Angeles Dodgers, with everyone else in tiers well below the defending champs.
The San Diego Padres have had their moments, but hardly any that left a lasting memory. The Colorado Rockies are continually rebuilding, while the San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks have moved at a similar pace to each other.
Last season was a step back for Arizona, finishing 80-82, selling at the deadline, and losing their key free agent signing, Corbin Burnes, to injury along the way. Their offseason was underwhelming; they chose to acquire past their prime veterans and neglected to address a disastrous bullpen.
Now, just a handful of games into the season, the Diamondbacks’ problems have continued to snowball, resulting in a mediocre start. While it is far too early to press the panic button, I think we have all glanced at it more than once.
Their win-loss record is one thing, but injuries and issues from years prior are still present, causing concern no matter the sample size.
Injuries Emphasize Depth Concerns
Arizona’s injury issues are not new. Burnes has been on the shelf since last season due to Tommy John surgery, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. suffered a late-season knee injury that required surgery, putting him out for the beginning of the 2026 season.
Tyler Locklear, Adrian Del Castillo, and Merrill Kelly all suffered offseason injuries, which only put further strain on the team’s depth.
Coming into spring training, the team was not exactly at full strength, but no one ever is. Then, Pavin Smith, Blake Walston, and Cristian Mena all suffered injuries, delaying the beginning of their seasons. Let’s not forget about the Corbin Carroll injury scare, though he looks to be healthy enough.
Luckily, Zac Gallen was still available due to a less-than-ideal 2025 that landed him back in the desert on a one-year deal. Veteran Carlos Santana, now 40, was also a late addition to help solidify the holes in the team’s depth.
It felt like the Diamondbacks were due for a bigger move. Perhaps something more than a declining Nolan Arenado. Alek Thomas and Jordan Lawlar came with their own question marks, and the lineup’s fall-off after the top four was, and still is, concerning.
Ildemaro Vargas, Jorge Barrosa, and Tim Tawa now go from depth pieces to filling more significant roles.
Jose Fernandez, who was just called up, is a fine prospect but has not put up the type of numbers you typically see from an early-season call-up. A 22-year-old with one game above Double-A doesn’t inject much enthusiasm, even if he has some tools that could develop him into something more.
The top four in the lineup – Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Perdomo, and Gabriel Moreno – is excellent. We all know the talent Marte and Carroll have, and Perdomo’s breakout in 2025 looked real and not just a fluke. Moreno is one of the better young offensive catchers in the National League.
After the top four, is there a player that will give opposing managers fits? As much as I respect Arenado and Santana, their best days are behind them. Lawlar has the talent to become a threat, and his hot start is promising, but we’ve seen a lot more bad than good since his debut.
The sample is too small to play around with numbers. I’m sure the offense will get to a point where they can compete for a playoff spot, especially once they get healthy. However, if the bullpen does not make significant progress, it might not matter.
Bullpen Blunders
Monday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers might have only been one game in a season of 162, but it encapsulated what the Diamondbacks have been dealing with for far too long. Leading 8-0 heading into the seventh inning, the Diamondbacks took nearly 30 minutes, and three pitchers, to stop the Tigers’ surge.
Joe Ross allowed five hits and six runs. Ryan Thompson came in to try to get Arizona out of a jam but could not locate his pitches, walking two. He was pulled before he could record an out. In the snap of a finger, the game was suddenly 8-6.
To their credit, Taylor Clarke and Paul Sewald did not allow a hit in the eighth and ninth, securing the victory, but not many smiles, for the Diamondbacks.
Sure, Arizona is without arguably their two best late-game options in A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez, but both of those injuries happened last season. The only arms they lost relatively recently were Andrew Saalfrank and Derek Law. Fine options, but not guys you would look upon in the eighth or ninth.
The team knew what they would be up against this season and decided to sign Sewald, Ross, Clarke, and Jonathan Loaisiga. All of whom landed in Arizona in the third or fourth wave of free agency. At this point in their careers, all of these arms are depth options, or even minor leaguers, but instead are being asked to fill leverage innings.
The Diamondbacks’ bullpen has been an issue for some time, not just the small sample from this season. The concerns are obvious. Hell, Arizona doesn’t even have a lefty in their bullpen. No matter how you slice it, keeping leads is going to be challenging, and I’m sure the bullpen will cost the team a number of games this season.
How do you fix it? The answer is not so easy. I’m sure the first attempt will be shuffling players up and down from the minors, and maybe one or two guys stick. The waiver wire could produce an option, but those moves are typically a coin flip. Significant trades are still a few months away.
For now, the Diamondbacks are stuck with what they have internally.
Final Thoughts
I know this piece is rather negative, but ask yourself: How much faith do you have in the current roster? Don’t get me wrong, there’s talent, but is there enough? One more injury could force a prospect into the lineup or another replacement-level player into key innings.
Once healthy, I think the lineup will be much better. Ryan Waldschmidt should be ready sooner rather than later and could provide a spark as well. But reinforcements for the bullpen are harder to find. If the Diamondbacks do not figure out their leverage innings soon, they could find themselves in a hole they cannot dig out of.
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