Five D-backs Moves That Exceeded Expectations in 2024

With the Winter Meetings rapidly approaching, Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen has been quiet thus far in the 2024 off-season.

That's been an unusual practice, as he's generally swung moves before, sometimes far in advance of the off-season anchor point.

Diamondbacks On SI's Jack Sommers examined Hazen's track record of off-season moves. It's been somewhat unexpected to see no action up to this point.

Perhaps that's an indication of smaller moves, similar to some of his most successful acquisitions of 2024.

But 2024's MLB-leading offense didn't come entirely out of nowhere. It was manufactured by Hazen, and his unsuspecting moves. While some of his moves failed to pan out--including some of the bigger, more anticipated ones--his smart, affordable acqusitions were some of the most surprising in 2024.

With that in mind, it's reasonable to expect some similar moves in the months leading up to the 2025 season.

It's hard to imagine the D-backs shelling out for any huge names, or even someone like Christian Walker, but 2024's moves should provide a modicum of encouragement that even the more unassuming moves could become the engine of this club in 2025.

Some might be obvious, but here are Arizona's five most unexpectedly successful moves of 2024.

1: Traded for 3B Eugenio Suárez

Suárez came over quite early in the 2023 off-season, as Hazen secured his third baseman on November 22, weeks before the Winter Meetings in a trade with the Seattle Mariners.

The D-backs took on a contract that cost them just over $11 million in 2024, with a $15 million option for 2025. In return, Hazen sent minor league reliever Carlos Vargas and backup catcher Seby Zavala to Seattle.

Suárez was projected a mere .229/.320/.406 slash for 2024, with 22 homers and 74 RBI. Despite beginning the season on a dismal track, the veteran slugger turned his season around in impressive fashion, and finished with 30 homers, 101 RBI, and a sturdy .256/.319/.469 slash.

Suárez wasn't exactly a "smaller" move, but destroyed his projections, and ended up contributing at a much higher level than expected, especially given his poor start, while playing reliable defense at the hot corner.

The D-backs picked up the affable veteran's 2025 option, while neither Vargas nor Zavala were instrumental to the Mariners' season.

2: Signed OF/DH Joc Pederson

Arizona was in desperate need of a proper DH prior to the 2024 season. Names floated all around, including former D-backs legend J.D. Martinez, Jorge Soler and Justin Turner.

But Hazen turned to a hitter who had severely underperformed in 2023. He brought Joc Pederson to the desert on a one-year, $9.5 million deal, with a $14 million 2025 option or $3 million buyout.

Pederson has declined his option, meaning his full 2024 contract value was $12.5 million, but that number was still not to the level that might have been expected of a top-tier DH.

How did Pederson respond to this? By having one of the best seasons of his career. Despite not being the name that many were asking for, Pederson slashed .275/.393/.515, smashed 23 homers and put forward a 151 wRC+ from the three-hole.

For comparison, Martinez signed a one-year, $12 million deal with the Mets and hit .235/.320/.406 with 16 homers.

Soler signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Giants, and hit just .240 with 12 homers before being traded to the Braves at the deadline. He's since been traded again, and is now a member of the Angels.

3: Signed OF/DH Randal Grichuk

Going hand-in-hand with Pederson, Hazen made a very late signing in Randal Grichuk. In mid-February, the D-backs inked Grichuk to a one-year, $2 million deal with a 2025 option.

Grichuk was recovering from ankle surgery, but looked to serve as the other half of a DH platoon with Pederson, as well as outfield depth.

Grichuk wasn't projected the best season, but smashed those numbers, slashing .291/.348/.528, while hitting 12 homers in only 279 plate appearances, mostly facing left-handed pitching.

Essentially, Hazen paid $14.5 million in 2024 for two players who excelled as a DH tandem, while other big names struggled to produce consistent numbers, for similar or higher pay.

For the cost of one mid-tier DH, the D-backs got a cumulative .283/.370/.521, with 35 homers and 110 RBI out of their DH, with immense platoon flexibility. I'd say that was a pretty good use of $14.5 million by Hazen.

4: Signed INF Kevin Newman

Veteran utility infielder Kevin Newman was one of the most under-the-radar signings of Hazen's 2024.

Arizona signed him to a negligible minor league deal, and when he failed to make the Opening Day roster, opted out of his contract. He later signed a second minor league deal with the D-backs.

But when starting shortstop Geraldo Perdomo went down, Newman was the next man up. He filled in quite admirably, even earning himself playing time once Perdomo returned. He served as a versatile and reliable utility infielder, played a variety of positions, and even put forward a respectable .278/.311/.375 slash.

There wasn't much power, but he did hit for a very solid average, and played the best defense of his career at shortstop and second base.

He earned just $1 million in 2024, and was basically thought of as minor league depth prior to his surge, but became a nearly everyday contributor to the D-backs and earned himself a slightly larger major league deal with the Angels for 2025.

5: Traded for LHP A.J. Puk

Puk might have been one of the most dominant pitchers on the team in 2024, and certainly deserves praise for his role in bolstering the bullpen, but since he wasn't an off-season acquisition, he comes in last on this list.

Hazen traded infield prospect Deyvison De Los Santos to the Marlins for Puk, and while De Los Santos certainly showed signs of being an MLB-caliber player in 2024, Puk was truly dominant for the D-backs.

While Puk's expectations were already somewhat high, as his reputation was quite positive, none could have expected the brilliance he'd put on display for the D-backs.

He pitched to a 1.32 ERA and struck out 14.16 batters per nine with Arizona over 27.1 innings. In fact, up until the final game of the season, he allowed just one run over 29 appearances. He was tagged for three against the Padres to close out the year, but the season was all but lost by that point.

Arizona paid a mere $638,710 for Puk's services in 2024. He's estimated to earn about $2.6 million in arbitration in 2025, and is not a free agent until 2027. Barring severe regression, this move is one of Hazen's most beneficial in terms of return-on-investment.

Conclusion

Don't rule out any sort of major trade or signing--it's certainly possible the D-backs do make a splash. But realistically, it's most likely to see moves of this nature this off-season. Smaller, smarter moves have worked out in a major for this club as recently as last season.

In fact, their larger acquisitions of 2024 might have been some of the most disappointing, while these five players certainly went above and beyond their expectations or low profile.

Depending on what Arizona can do with Jordan Montgomery's contract, look for key moves out of Hazen that are reminiscent of the Pederson and Grichuk deals to try and fill the many holes on this roster in 2025.