Potential Targets for the Diamondbacks at Third Base

The biggest hole in the lineup for the Diamondbacks is at third base. The team is currently slated to have a Jace Peterson/Emmanuel Rivera platoon at the position, with Diego Castillo and Blaze Alexander as potential 40-man roster depth.

Free Agents

Jeimer Candelario: Candelario makes the most sense if the team wants to have a stopgap solution at the position for the next two seasons and then move over to first base once Tommy Troy establishes himself. Candelario is coming off one of his best offensive seasons, putting up a 119 OPS+ between the Nationals and Cubs and will turn 30 in a couple weeks. He's not the best defender at the position, but adequate enough that the right coaching can make him a break-even defender and the team can use him as a middle of the order bat. Due to his age and solid platform season at the plate, Candelario will be the hottest free agent at the position. He could be looking at a three to four year deal at roughly $20-25 million per season.

Matt Chapman: Chapman may be the most buyer beware of the top free agents at the position considering his production compared to cost, as he's an exceptionally streaky hitter who's overall profile is carried by his defense. With Arizona's need to get a third baseman and a right-handed bat, they might check in on the market and potentially pounce if it's a cold one. The high strikeout rate impacts the amount of opportunities to use his power to impact the game. If his market comes down, it could be an opportunity for the D-backs to strike.

According to Heyman, the D-backs have already expressed interest in the market for Candelario and Chapman.

Gio Urshela: If Chapman's market proves to be too much for the D-backs to afford, Urshela could be a possibility as a Plan B. A broken pelvis ended his season on June 15th, so they'll need to scrutinize the medicals. An injury like that is a long term concern, which will dampen the market. His bat rates as average throughout his career, with a 102 OPS+, but even that is a major step up from the production they got from the position in 2023.

Trades

Willy Adames: The Brewers appear to be heading for a quick retooling of the roster. As a result, they may be extra motivated to deal Adames in his final year of control. However in a trade for Adames, it is more likely that the D-backs play him at shortstop as a bridge to their top prospect Jordan Lawlar. In the event that Lawlar is ready to open the season, there's the possibility that Adames could potentially slide down to third. The main issue with acquiring Adames is he struggles against fastballs, with Statcast giving him a -8 run value against 4-seamers, sinkers, and cutters two years after being +14 against 4-seamers. Is it a case of a slowing bat or selling out to hit offspeed pitches?

J.D. Davis: It's going to be difficult for the D-backs to pry him away from a division rival, especially since the Giants will be looking to make significant additions this offseason. In the event they sign a free agent at the position, Davis will be without a defensive home. He is a career 113 OPS+ hitter and doesn't have platoon splits with a career .774 OPS vs. RHP and .778 vs. LHP. The main concern is he's not a particularly strong defender and is more of a designated hitter who could play both corner infield spots. With one year of control, the cost to acquire him wouldn't be much for teams outside the division.

Curtis Mead: This would be the case of a prospect for a prospect trade, with the 23-year-old Mead currently blocked by Junior Caminero and Isaac Paredes at third and second base respectively. He doesn't have the big bat, with only 13 home runs in 85 games at the Triple-A level, but makes up for it by being a good defender at the position. While not as sure a bet compared to some of the other names, this has the highest long term payoff. If Tampa Bay is interested in taking Druw Jones or Slade Cecconi, this deal makes a lot of sense if they want a controllable player at the position.

The D-backs ability to land an everyday third baseman will very much depend on how much they spend on shoring up their starting rotation.

Free Agents

Trades

Diamondbacks Reportedly Interested in Jeimer Candelario