Left Field
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. arrived in Arizona alongside Moreno last off-season. At the time, Gurriel Jr. was a rental on the last year of his contract. After the 2023 campaign, Gurriel Jr. became a free agent, but only for a short amount of time. The two sides agreed upon a three-year, $42 million deal to bring the left fielder back into the fold for the 2024 campaign and beyond.
Gurriel Jr. hit .261/.309/.463 last season with a .329 wOBA, and 106 wRC+. Although it was his worst season since his rookie year in 2018, there were positives about his campaign. He hit a career high 24 home runs with the second best K% of his career at 17.4%. It also is the fifth season in a row he has had a wRC+ above 100.
But he had the best year of his career with the glove. He racked up +14 DRS in left field, the first time he ever surpassed a half-dozen DRS. Only 11 outfielders last year reached the double-digits. OAA was slightly less bullish, but +1 is still a career best for him. Prior to 2023, he had never posted an above average OAA in left field.
The Diamondbacks could have the best defensive outfield in the game if Gurriel can look anything like he did last year in left field. Gurriel Jr. is consistently a solid, above average hitter who is coming off a career year defensively. Hopefully, he can continue that trend in 2024, and for the rest of his new contract.