3 free agents the Diamondbacks should sign (2.0)
In my 1.0 version, I suggested that the Diamondbacks should sign RP Andrew Chafin, IF Donovan Solano, and SP Michael Pineda. Chafin did indeed sign with Arizona, Solano inked a deal with the Twins, and Pineda is still a free agent…
1B/DH Yuli Gurriel
Yes, I am aware that Gurriel is 38 years old. But guess what, the guy can hit. If the Diamondbacks were to sign Gurriel, he would likely be an everyday DH or a great bench bat against lefties. The contract would only be a one-year deal but hey, I would rather see Gurriel in a Diamondbacks uniform for one year than have him playing for another team in 2023…
In 801 career games, all with the Astros, Gurriel has hit 94 HRs, 206 doubles, 435 RBIs, and owns a career OPS of .776. His best season came in 2019 where in 144 games, Gurriel hit 31 HRs, 104 RBIs, and slashed .298/.343/.541 for an OPS of .884. Last season Yuli’s numbers were a little down as he finished the season with an OPS less than .700, but he still whacked 40 doubles. As I said, adding Gurriel to the team would provide the Diamondbacks with a consistent DH presence and would make this lineup a top-10 lineup in baseball, no doubt in my mind. Plus, we would get to see the Gurriel brothers play together; how fun would that be?!
RP Jose Alvarez
In an effort to bounce back from an injury, Alvarez struggled last season. In 15.1 innings, the lefty gave up 17 hits, 9 walks, and 9 earned runs. But it’s his performance before the 22’ season that teams should look at…
In 10 big league seasons, Alvarez owns a 3.47 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and he has recorded 416 holds. Not bad for a guy that is still a free agent. In his last full season (2021), Alvarez went 5-2 with a 2.37 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP over the course of 64.2 innings. It would make sense if the Diamondbacks only wanted two lefties in their bullpen (Nelson & Chafin), but adding a veteran guy like Alvarez would make this bullpen an above-average unit. Another bonus, Arizona could probably sign Jose for cheap as the season is on the horizon…
SP Michael Pineda
I will die on this hill if I have to. Please Mike Hazen, please sign this undervalued, underrated, always consistent, veteran starting pitcher. I will even say pretty please with a cherry on top if I have to…
Pineda has been in the big leagues since 2011. He broke into the league with Seattle and in his debut season, he went 9-10 in 28 starts with a 3.74 ERA over 171 innings. Not bad at all for your rookie season! Pineda has never been a dominant pitcher, but he has always been consistent. In 3 seasons with the Minnesota Twins (2019-2021), Michael went a combined 22-13 over 52 starts with a 3.80 ERA. Not dominant, but those numbers suggest that Pineda will usually keep you in the ball game granted a couple of bad starts…
With the consistency Pineda has had in his career, it is a surprise you do not hear about him more often. It is also a surprise that a team with deep pockets like the Mets, Yankees, or Dodgers hasn’t signed this guy by now. This is another reason I beg the Arizona front office to sign him. I want him pitching for us, not for another team in the NL West…