PHOENIX -- Nolan Arenado may spend an inning somewhere other than third base for the first time in his career, and the Diamondbacks are open to making it happen.
Arizona general manager Mike Hazen said the club has discussed using Arenado at first base in 2027, a move that would not represent a full-time switch but could give the team another option on the field.
"We've talked about Nolan playing some first base, so that might be something we take a look at," Arizona general manager Mike Hazen said.
Arenado, a 10-time Gold Glove winner and six-time Platinum Glove winner, has built his reputation at third. But at 35, the Diamondbacks are looking at ways to manage the wear and tear that comes with that position.
"I think it's taken a toll on him physically a little bit," Hazen said. "So we're trying to be mindful of that."
The idea also fits Arizona’s roster-building plans. If Arenado can move around the infield at times, it could widen the team’s options as it tries to add another bat this winter.
"It could help us, depending on what's out there in the market for available players, by giving us more flexibility," Hazen said. "It opens the door for us, externally, to consider different ways to improve the team."
Arizona landed Arenado last offseason from the Cardinals for Minor League pitcher Jack Martinez, and the trade paid off. Arenado turned in his best season since 2022, when he finished third in the NL MVP race, and in 152 games this year he hit .255/.331/.475 with a 122 OPS+.
"Incredible," Hazen said of Arenado's season. "He had a great year. You know, I think lost in some of the disappointment of not making the playoffs and [finishing] just out of it is some of the individual performances, like Arenado's."
The Diamondbacks first raised the first-base idea with Arenado near the end of the season and brought it up again this week. Hazen said Arenado was receptive and even mentioned the possibility of playing winter ball for the first time to get comfortable there.
"He wants to go play," Hazen said. "He's said, 'I've never played winter ball, I want to go.'
And so, I was like, 'Look, [Geraldo] Perdomo goes and plays winter ball every year for a couple weeks, and he swears that it really helps set him up for the season. So not being a pitcher and being a veteran position player, I trust that you're gonna take care of what you need to take care of, and I don't have an issue with it.'
I don't know that it's a done deal, but we were just talking about it."
In Other News...
Diamondbacks Offseason Reset Could Put Ketel Marte At The Center
The Diamondbacks offseason reset is shaping up to reach one of the most important names on the roster, with Ketel Marte emerging as a possible trade candidate as the club weighs broader changes after narrowly missing the playoffs. Arizona has every reason to consider difficult conversations after a year that left the front office wanting more, and Martes blend of star power and friction has put him squarely in the middle of that evaluation.
Team officials have been frustrated by his past absences and uneven performance, which only adds to the complexity of any decision involving one of the franchises most recognizable players. Martes situation also carries a built-in layer of uncertainty as the winter unfolds, and his future could become one of the defining questions of Arizonas offseason if the organization decides to keep pushing toward a reshaped roster. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Just Got Clarity On Corbin Burnes And A New Concern
Corbin Burnes has given the Diamondbacks some contract clarity heading into the long view of their rotation plans, choosing not to use the opt-out in the six-year, $210 million deal that runs through 2030. For Arizona, that removes at least one layer of uncertainty around a pitcher the club expected to anchor the staff when it signed him, and it keeps the focus on getting him back to being a regular presence on the mound.
The bigger concern now is less about the contract and more about what Burnes can realistically provide when he returns. He has been slowed by a series of injury setbacks since joining the Diamondbacks, and the team has been preparing for the idea that his comeback could come with workload restrictions. Even with the opt-out off the table, Arizona still has to wait on a rotation answer it was counting on a lot sooner. [Read more 🡒]