What I’m hearing about the DBacks’ interest in Alex Bregman, plus more MLB offseason notes – The Athletic
On Monday, a rival executive summed up the Arizona Diamondbacks’ offseason messaging thusly:
“We have no money, we have no money, we have no money . . . oh, Ken got aggressive.”
Ken is Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick, and it seems he might be at it again.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported Tuesday that the DBacks are interested in free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman. The collective-bargaining agreement prohibits club officials from commenting directly on free agents, but a person briefed on the DBacks’ plans said “nothing is off the table” with regard to the team’s offseason pursuits.
The signing of Bregman, which likely would be possible only if the Diamondbacks first trade second baseman Ketel Marte, would echo the DBacks’ out-of-nowhere addition of free-agent right-hander Corbin Burnes one year ago.
Bregman enjoyed playing last season for the Boston Red Sox, who remain interested in re-signing him. But Bregman, like Burnes, lives in the Phoenix area. Bregman, like Burnes, is represented by Scott Boras. Bregman, like Burnes, has young children.
The Diamondbacks are the only team that holds spring training in the same metropolitan area in which it plays, enabling players to live at home year-round. Burnes accepted deferrals in his six-year, $210 million deal, lowering the net present value to below $194 million. He also negotiated an opt-out after the 2026 season, one he became less likely to exercise after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June.
Bregman, who turns 32 in March, is 17 months older than Burnes was when the pitcher signed with the DBacks. The DBacks might be reluctant to go long-term with a hitter of that age, but the Burnes contract demonstrated their willingness to be creative. The question is whether Bregman would agree to a deal similar to the one he signed last offseason with the Red Sox – three years, $120 million with two opt-outs. As he gets into his 30s, a shorter agreement would be less appealing.
The DBacks almost certainly would need to trade Marte before signing Bregman; they would lose leverage doing it the other way around. The deferrals in Marte’s contract lower his average annual value for luxury-tax purposes to $14.6 million. Bregman likely would go for at least twice that AAV, but the Diamondbacks’ current payroll is an estimated $17 million lower than it was last season.
Bregman would play third base for the DBacks, with Jordan Lawlar, Blaze Alexander and Tim Tawa becoming options at second. The required sequence of moves – trading Marte, signing Bregman – might seem farfetched. But so did the possibility of Arizona signing Burnes a year ago.
A multiyear deal Kim turned down
The Athletics tried for free agent shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, offering him a four-year, $48 million contract with room to grow, according to a person briefed on the discussions. Kim, 30, instead opted for a one-year, $20 million deal with the Atlanta Braves, and the chance to return to the open market next season.
His choice followed a familiar pattern for Boras clients. Rather than sign long-term under unfavorable market conditions, Kim will seek to realize his full value at a later time. Coming off right labrum surgery and dealing with low back inflammation last season, he appeared in only 48 games.
The A’s plan for Kim was to play him almost entirely at second base. He also could have filled in at shortstop if Jacob Wilson missed time with injuries. But now that Kim is off the board, the A’s likely will need to address their needs at second and third base through trade. The remaining free-agent infielders – from Bo Bichette to Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto – are expected to be out of their price range.
The Tampa Bay Rays’ Brandon Lowe and New York Mets’ Jeff McNeil are among the possible trade options at second (the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants are the front-runners for the St. Louis Cardinals’ Brendan Donovan, according to The Athletic’s Katie Woo).
The Rays generally are inclined to move players on expiring contracts, making Lowe an obvious candidate to be dealt. But people briefed on the Rays’ thinking said the team does not intend to accept a tepid offer for Lowe, believing that if he stays healthy, he might be one of the best hitters available at the deadline.
Still searching in Seattle
The Mariners, seeking to rebound from the loss of free-agent infielder Jorge Polanco to the New York Mets, remain in the mix for the Diamondbacks’ Marte as well as the Cardinals’ Donovan, according to people briefed on their pursuits.
Donovan’s defensive versatility makes him in some ways a better fit for Seattle. He mostly has played second and left field in the majors, but also has experience at every other position but catcher and center field. With a number of Mariners position prospects getting close to the majors, his ability to move to other spots would be especially valuable.
Marte, 32, is more than three years older than Donovan. Yet, he is under contract for six seasons while Donovan is under club control for only two. He also is the more impactful hitter. His .887 OPS the past three seasons ranks ninth in the majors.
The Mariners are not unfamiliar with Marte, though it has been nearly a decade since he played for them. He signed with Seattle out of the Dominican Republic at age 16 before getting sent to Arizona in Nov. 2016 with pitcher Taijuan Walker for outfielder Mitch Haniger, infielder Jean Segura and pitcher Zac Curtis.
Jerry Dipoto was the Mariners’ general manager then. He is their president of baseball operations now. His interest in re-acquiring Marte indicates that he is not deterred by the 11-year veteran’s clubhouse issues with the DBacks last season.
Rockies’ Doyle likely to stay
Much like the Washington Nationals’ new leadership with shortstop CJ Abrams, the Colorado Rockies’ new front office wants to try to get more out of center fielder Brenton Doyle before seriously discussing him in trades.
Coming off 119 losses, the Rockies will consider just about anything. But according to team sources, club officials are spending much of their time discussing their own players, wanting to make sure they value them properly.
Brenton Doyle’s defense has remained stellar, although his offense took a downturn in 2025. (Isaiah J. Downing / Imagn Images)
Rival clubs are drawn to Doyle’s defense, but if the Rockies moved him they would be selling low. Doyle’s OPS-plus went from 2 percent above league average in 2024 to 28 percent below in ‘25. He is entering his age 28 season, and under club control for four more years.
The Rockies, given the volatility of relievers, might be more inclined to trade from their bullpen. They’ve bolstered their relief corps by trading for Brennan Bernardino and selecting RJ Petit from the Detroit Tigers with the first pick of the Rule 5 draft. Victor Vodnik and Seth Halvorsen were among their relievers who drew interest at the trade deadline.
Around the horn
• As of Tuesday, only 21 of The Athletic’s top 50 free agents had reached agreements, and that group included four who accepted qualifying offers.
Baseball free agency moves at its own pace. Teams are just as active exploring trades as they are the open market. And trades this offseason are more difficult to complete for an encouraging reason: Virtually every team is trying to improve.
The St. Louis Cardinals are a notable exception. The Rockies and Chicago White Sox aren’t exactly in “go” mode. But as one executive put it, “No team wants prospects. If you’re willing to take prospects, you’ll get more on the dollar than you will for major-league players.”
• Andrew Knizner became accustomed to limited duty serving as the backup catcher to Yadier Molina with the Cardinals. He’ll be in the same situation after signing a one-year, $1 million contract with the Mariners, playing behind Cal Raleigh.
Only J.T. Realmuto and Will Smith have started more games than Raleigh at catcher over the past three seasons. The Mariners liked Danny Jansen, who agreed to a two-year, $14.5 million contract with the Texas Rangers, but knew he would want more playing time than they could provide.
Knizner, who bounced from St. Louis to Texas to San Francisco the past three seasons, is a strong defender. He had only a .598 OPS in 88 plate appearances last season, but the Mariners believe he improved his process, adding to his appeal.
• Perhaps the hottest subset of free agents has been American-born pitchers returning from Japan or Korea. Left-hander Foster Griffin became the latest to join the group on Tuesday, agreeing with the Nationals on a one-year, $5.5 million contract.
Prior to that, it was righty Cody Ponce (three years, $30 million, Toronto); lefty Anthony Kay (two years, $12 million, Chicago White Sox); righty Drew Anderson (one year, $7 million, Detroit); and righty Ryan Weiss (one year, $2.6 million, Houston).
Perhaps next on the list: Righty Kyle Keller, whose 28.8 percent strikeout rate since 2022 ranks fifth among qualified pitchers in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Keller, 32, pitched for Miami, the Los Angeles Angels and Pittsburgh from 2019 to ‘21, and added a splitter in Japan.
-The Athletic’s Will Sammon contributed to this report
