The Diamondbacks and Michael Soroka appear headed toward a reunion, with both sides showing interest after the right-hander’s first season in Arizona.
John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM reported that the D-Backs will look at bringing Soroka back in free agency. Soroka echoed that sentiment after Arizona was knocked out on the final day of the regular season, telling reporters, including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports, he’d “absolutely love to return.”
Soroka’s year in the desert gave Arizona plenty to like. He signed a one-year, $7.5MM free-agent deal and finished with a 3.41 ERA over 22 appearances.
The contract also includes a $10MM mutual option for 2027, though Soroka is expected to decline it. He was second on the team with 114 strikeouts and led the club’s starting pitchers with a 24.1% strikeout rate.
The season wasn’t clean, though. Soroka dealt with the kind of injury interruptions that have followed him throughout his career, missing six weeks from late June into early August with a left glute strain before a late-August bout of arm inflammation sent him back to the shelf briefly. His 116 innings were modest for a starter, but they still marked his heaviest workload since 2019.
That injury history will likely keep his market from getting too wild, even after a strong platform season. Soroka is 29 and should draw interest on a two- or three-year deal, especially from teams looking for a mid-rotation arm with some upside. He brings a 93-94 mph fastball with high spin, a sharp low-80s breaking ball that generates plenty of whiffs, and he added a cutter this season as a fourth pitch.
Arizona’s need for rotation help goes well beyond Soroka, too. The club looks poised to let Zac Gallen walk after an ERA north of 6.00.
Corbin Burnes has barely pitched over the last two seasons and finished the year on the shelf with a shoulder issue, though he’s expected to avoid surgery. Merrill Kelly also had a rough year by his standards, posting a near-5.00 ERA with a 16% strikeout rate.
Burnes and Kelly are under contract and would be in line for Opening Day rotation jobs if healthy. Brandon Pfaadt and Eduardo Rodriguez turned in strong ERAs but with below-average strikeout numbers, while Ryne Nelson struggled and missed most of the second half after suffering a partial flexor tear in his forearm.
Among the returning starters, none missed bats at even an average level. Only the Rockies had a lower rotation strikeout rate.
Because of that, the Diamondbacks need more than one arm, ideally starters who can bring some swing-and-miss. Keeping Soroka would help fill one of those spots. Arizona probably won’t risk a qualifying offer that should come in around $23.1MM, but a multi-year contract at a lower annual number - something in the $14-16MM range - could give Soroka the raise he’s earned while keeping him in the desert.
In Other News...
Diamondbacks Just Ended A Torey Lovullo Debate That Kept Growing
The Diamondbacks have put an end to one of the bigger internal questions around the franchise by signing Torey Lovullo to a two-year contract extension that keeps him in place through the 2027 season. Lovullo has now been at the helm for 10 seasons, long enough to become one of the defining figures of the clubs modern era, with multiple postseason trips and the 2023 World Series run standing out as the high-water mark.
Even with some uneven results and a few clubhouse issues in recent years, the organization has continued to signal belief in his leadership, and CEO Derrick Hall has been among the voices backing that view. The extension settles the present, but it also leaves the more interesting question hanging over what comes next for a manager whose tenure has already seen both the best and most complicated stretches of the Diamondbacks recent history. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Fans May Revisit One Part Of The Lars Nootbaar Deal
The Lars Nootbaar deal finally has its last piece in place, and it sends another Arizona pitching prospect to St. Louis. Brian Curley, a 23-year-old third-round pick out of Georgia, was the player to be named later, adding a little more clarity to a trade Diamondbacks fans have had reason to track since the original swap.
Curley spent the 2026 season pitching at High-A and Double-A, where the results were uneven but the underlying traits stood out. He paired strong strikeout and walk numbers with a high ERA, and his appeal remains easy to see: a fastball that can get into triple digits and a varied arsenal that gives him a chance to keep moving. Arizona will have to wait a while to revisit the deal in another sense, since he will not be eligible for the Rule 5 draft until after the 2028 season. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Just Sent A Clear Message About Torey Lovullo
After a season that ended just short of a playoff berth, the Diamondbacks chose stability at the top by extending Torey Lovullos contract for two more years. Arizona went 86-76 and spent much of the year in the mix before falling narrowly short, a finish that underscored how thin the margin can be in a crowded National League race.
Lovullos continued presence also keeps a familiar voice in place for a roster that dealt with its share of disruption. All-Star second baseman Ketel Marte missed several games because of injury and off-field issues, and those absences may have mattered in a race decided by fine details. The new deal signals the organization believes the manager remains the right fit as it tries to turn close calls into October baseball. [Read more 🡒]