ESPN’s Olney: D-backs’ outfield will be area to focus on this offseason
Oct 28, 2017, 1:58 PM
Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder J.D. Martinez walks through the dugout as he gets ready for batting practice Monday, Oct. 2, 2017, at Chase Field in Phoenix as the team prepared for a National League wild-card playoff baseball game against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Arizona Diamondbacks are coming off an incredibly successful season.
After low expectations for the 2017 campaign, the D-backs won 93 games and the NL Wild Card Game.
Two players who had important roles in this past season were J.D. Martinez and A.J. Pollock.
Martinez, acquired in a trade with the Detroit Tigers on July 18, was one of the best power hitters in all of baseball. On the season, Martinez hit .303 with 45 home runs and 104 RBI. He hit 29 home runs for Arizona in 62 games.
Pollock, on the other hand, had a down year but is still an integral part of the team in center field. An All-Star in 2015, Pollock was a .266 hitter in 2017 with 14 home runs and 49 RBI, playing in 112 games.
Both players will be in free agency by the end of the 2018 season, and securing both long-term is the key to this offseason for the D-backs, according to ESPN’s Buster Olney.
Arizona is set in the infield, with Paul Goldschmidt at first base and young, controllable players at the other spots. Its outfield will be an area of focus in the offseason, with J.D. Martinez headed into free agency and A.J. Pollock a year away from reaching the market.
Olney says Arizona’s lack of financial flexibility could hurt their chances of keeping Martinez.
The Diamondbacks really like Martinez and would love to retain him, but may need compromise to retain him, because of other looming financial pressure points. Goldschmidt will be eligible for free agency after 2019, assuming that the D-backs pick up that ’19 option, and Zack Greinke is owed $138.5 million over the next four years. Arizona has no long-term commitments in its bullpen, so it will have to identify a closer for next year as part of a winter bullpen remodeling.
As Olney notes, the closer is also a position to watch. Fernando Rodney is 40 years old and a free agent and set-up man Archie Bradley’s role in the pitching staff remains a mystery for the time being.
Rodney had his fair share of erratic outings through the season. He finished with 39 saves on the season and a 4.23 ERA. Bradley was one of the best relievers in the majors, posting a 1.73 ERA in 73 innings pitched.
