The Diamondbacks still have one more pressing need to bolster their lineup: adding a right-handed impact bat to their mix. It could be as simple as someone completing the platoon with Pavin Smith at the designated hitter spot, or it could be someone hitting there every day. That need was iterated again by Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen when speaking to The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro on Sunday.
Randal Grichuk is unlikely to be that bat for Arizona, as Arizona Sports insider and co-host of Burns & Gambo John Gambadoro threw cold water on a reunion.
No I do not see Randal Grichuk returning to the Diamondbacks for those who have asked.
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) December 31, 2024
Still, Arizona must fill the void, and there are plenty of options remaining.
Lane Thomas could be the perfect rental bat for the Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks could opt for a short-term approach and buy time from prospects Tim Tawa and Kristian Robinson. Tawa is major-league ready after a strong run between the organization's highest two levels in the minors, but it may be too early to hand him a job.
If they wanted to go with a one-year rental, they could contact the Cleveland Guardians on the availability of Lane Thomas. Thomas is in his final season of control and is projected to earn $8.3 million in his third and final year of arbitration. He struggled with the Guardians down the stretch after they picked him up at the deadline.
In Arizona, Thomas would clearly be a fourth outfielder and occasional DH. He has played primarily right field in his career, but has experience at all three spots. Against left-handed pitching, Thomas slashed .319/.380/.539 with 13 home runs in 337 plate appearances in 2024. While not as skilled defensively or as mobile as Grichuk, he provides the same type of impact with the bat.
The $8.3 million price tag is quite a bit when considering he's likely to get somewhere between 300 and 350 plate appearances when healthy. However, the power impact he has, plus the defensive coverage he can provide in a pinch, may be worth the slight overpay.
The opportunity would be there for Thomas to rebuild his value and enter the free agent market following the 2025 season. He's not too far removed from being a solid everyday player, with 3.3 bWAR in the 2023 season, so a good year could have him earning $9-12 million a year on the open market.
Taylor Ward would be an ambitious move for the Diamondbacks
If the Diamondbacks wanted to make an ambitious move, they could turn to Taylor Ward from the Los Angeles Angels. Ward would be the best bat they could likely pick up in the trade market that solves the DH need, although he's also capable of playing the outfield full-time. It would also likely spell the end for Pavin Smith's tenure in Arizona, who would be out of a job and out of options.
Ward crushed a career-high 25 home runs in his age-29 season in 2024, the first time he's been available for 150 or more games. In the two seasons he's been mostly healthy, he has hit 23 and 25 home runs. Arizona is looking to replace some of the home run power they lost due to Christian Walker and Joc Pederson both signing with AL West teams this offseason.
In 2024, Ward hammered lefties to a .325/.377/.496 slash line, with four home runs and a 146 wRC+ in 117 plate appearances. He was still above-average against right-handed pitching with a 102 wRC+ and still hit 21 home runs, so he doesn't need to sit against a right-hander if necessary. While he's naturally fared better against lefties in his career, his career wRC+ mark of 107 against righties is the same as Smith's.
The ask from the Angels will be high, likely in the market of two major league ready prospects, including one arm. The question will be if Arizona wants to continue to trade from their starting pitching depth or deal from their starting rotation to make a deal happen.
Ryan Mountcastle could help solidify first base beyond 2025
If Arizona wanted to go with a longer-term solution, they could call the Orioles to check on the availability of Ryan Mountcastle. While they already traded for Josh Naylor last month, the addition of Mountcastle would solve the DH need by sliding Naylor over there. However, the move would also block Pavin Smith from playing time, necessitating another trade.
Mountcastle is controllable through the 2026 season, which would give the Diamondbacks an in-house option to take over at the position for the next two seasons. That would also buy time for the farm system to produce a replacement at the position, with Gino Groover and Ryan Waldschmidt the most logical candidates.
There is still plenty of raw power in Mountcastle's bat, if the Diamondbacks can tinker his swing to get more in-game power. After hitting 33 home runs in his rookie season, his home run numbers have steadily declined. The Camden Yards left field wall, dubbed Walltimore, being pushed back contributed to his struggles somewhat, but the overall decline is still pretty sharp. In the last two seasons, he's hit just 31 total homers. That hasn't necessarily diminished his skills as a hitter, as he's hit .270 and carries a 115 OPS+ over that stretch.
He's a smooth defender at first base, and would be near the top of the list of Gold Glove candidates in the National League. While not a speed demon, he is capable of swiping a bag, with 10 steals in 11 attempts over the last three seasons. He could get a few more under Dave McKay's tutelage. Slower first basemen like Christian Walker and Paul Goldschmidt have produced double-digit steal seasons under McKay's watch.
The cost for Mountcastle will be considerably more than what they gave up for Josh Naylor, who has one year of control remaining; that cost was just right-hander Slade Cecconi. While Cecconi hasn't quite established himself despite ample opportunities in 2024, Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen believed he was on the same track as Ryne Nelson was entering the 2024 season.
Could Andrew Vaughn be a dark horse candidate?
The Chicago White Sox are going nowhere, with the modern-day loss record and third-lowest winning percentage in major league history. They are years away from putting together a competitive product, so it would be in their best interest to trade some of their expiring contracts.
Like Mountcastle, Vaughn has two seasons of control remaining. For his career, he has handled lefties fairly well with a .270/.335/.436 slash and a 115 wRC+ over 562 plate appearances. While he hasn't been an impact bat against right-handers, sporting a 97 wRC+, he isn't dreadful enough to hurt the lineup if he had to go on an extended run and provides some coverage at first base. However, Smith's stronger track record vs. right-handed pitching would have him in the lineup head-to-head.
Given his platoon splits, the best version of Arizona's lineup would have Vaughn primarily as a DH when inserted into the lineup. He doesn't offer a lot of defensive coverage, which hurts their overall roster construction. Given Naylor and Smith are also on the roster, that marks three players whose best defensive position is first base, and Vaughn is by far the worst defender. The Diamondbacks may prefer someone who can play the outfield or a DH that can play on an everyday basis.