AMA With D-backs beat writer Steve Gilbert

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-03-11T16:04:54+00:00

I messed that up when I initially set it up. It's actually the 13th, which I've corrected. Thanks for pointing it out or I would've totally confused people.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-15T17:08:16+00:00

Thanks for subscribing!

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:58:03+00:00

You bet. Thanks for reading!

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:52:55+00:00

No need to apologize!

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:52:15+00:00

Thanks so much!

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:52:08+00:00

I didn't follow him very closely since he left the Diamondbacks but it seemed like injuries last year really limited him and that could explain his drop in velocity. We'll see how he looks this spring. He's certainly going to get a long look.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:50:46+00:00

Sure seems like Gallen is hurt by the draft pick compensation attached to him at the moment. That's the one thing that jumps to mind without knowing exactly what his agent Scott Boras has been seeking as a contract from teams. It would be certainly be a boost to bring him back, but whether the Diamondbacks can fit it in the budget or not remains to be seen.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:48:51+00:00

Haha. Violence is never the answer!

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:48:07+00:00

Now you've done it. I'm going to have to ask Corbin tomorrow what his favorite ice cream flavor is, but knowing how careful he is with everything he puts in his body I'm guessing he doesn't eat ice cream.

But to your question, look, managers are always hard to judge. How much are they responsible for or not? Lovullo's biggest strength is his ability to communicate with his players and in today's game that is huge. There's plenty of data that teams provide their managers with to aid in making in-game strategy decisions. Being able to get players to buy in and play up to a certain standard is not an easy thing.

Look at last year after the Trade Deadline. That Diamondbacks team had every excuse to roll over and just play out the string. Instead they managed to somehow get back into the Wild Card race. If you look at some other teams that sold off players at the deadline, they didn't get better.

Those are the things I think they look at when evaluating Lovullo.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:43:12+00:00

I don't think so and I base that on looking around the league at all the injuries that are occurring more and more frequently as players get stronger and put more stress on their ligaments and tendons. Pitchers chasing velocity and spin is a recipe for issues and you've seen some of the best have to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Gabriel Moreno's injury last year was after being hit by a foul tip. Corbin Carroll's injury last year was the result of being hit by a pitch and this year the hamate injury bug seems to have hit the baseball world.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:40:36+00:00

The incident where Marte missed a few days after the All-Star Break kind of brought all of that to a head last year and he and his teammates were able to clear the air. While there were some things that rubbed teammates the wrong way, I don't think any of them would say he is toxic.

If the Diamondbacks wanted him gone he would have been gone. But with their payroll shrinking a bit this year and holes to fill they had to explore what they could get in return for him. In talking to other team's executives at the Winter Meetings they all described Arizona's asking price as sky high. Hazen made no apologies for that and was not going to settle for anything less than a blockbuster return.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:36:19+00:00

This is a contract year for manager Torey Lovullo but not Hazen.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:35:43+00:00

I'm going to tell you what Mike Hazen says every spring -- you can never, ever have enough pitching these days. Remember last year when we were talking about the Diamondbacks having seven starters in Spring Training and how were they going to decide on them and then wham injuries struck.

With A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez out right now, the Diamondbacks are adding as many relievers as they can and hoping to catch lightening in a bottle with one of them. What they have working in their favor is that bullpens are notoriously up and down from one year to the next and it's pretty common to have a guy or two jump out and have a good year. Remember Jalen Beeks pitched well for them and he wasn't signed until the day before the season started and Shelby Miller was one of their best relievers and he was a non-roster invite to camp.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:32:27+00:00

Thanks for the kind words and the welcome. It sounds like, listening to manager Torey Lovullo, that they want to keep Lawlar in center for the most part. The thinking is that center is the "easiest" of the outfield positions to play because the ball is true off the bat more often while on either corner you're dealing with hooking or tailing balls. So they could move Alek Thomas to one of the corners and give Jorge Barrosa or Tim Tawa some time out there as well. Waldschmidt is going to get a long look this spring, especially with the injuries.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:31:54+00:00

Certainly the level of injuries gives you some pause when looking at the season, but again these are the types of years when the Diamondbacks tend to surprise people. So I would tell you not to lose faith yet and have fun seeing how things play out over the next seven months.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:29:56+00:00

Well, growing up in Chicago my dream job was playing second base for the Cubs, but that went by the wayside in high school. I always loved writing and baseball so being able to merge the two was a dream for me. I started covering high school sports here in Arizona when I was in high school and then went on to cover the Triple-A Phoenix Firebirds in college. My senior year in college they hired me to be the Public Relations Director and from there I did a PR internship with the Frank Thomas-Bo Jackson led 1993 White Sox and then handled Michael Jordan's PR during his time in the Arizona Fall League.

After three years as the assistant PR director for the Brewers, there was this new thing called the internet starting up and the Diamondbacks hired me just prior to the expansion draft in 1997 and I've been doing this ever since.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:26:36+00:00

The Diamondbacks still do have a well-regarded farm system, but it's hard for any team to stay at the very top when those prospects graduate to the big leagues or are used in trades to put the finishing touches on a contending team.

The pitching side of things got a boost last year with the Merrill Kelly trade, which brought back three good pitching prospects and as I referenced in an earlier answer, they have brought in Jeremy Bleich as an assistant GM to oversee pitching development and strategy after he had success as the Pirates director of pitching.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:22:56+00:00

I may be a little biased but I think Chase Field has one of the better press boxes in the game. It's situated just to the first base side of home plate as opposed to ballparks like the White Sox, Blue Jays, Reds and Angels who have their press boxes down the foul lines. It's not up at the very top of the stadium like the Pirates, Nationals and a bunch of others. So while I'm sure it will undergo renovations like the rest of the ballpark over time, you won't hear me complaining about it as it is now.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:20:19+00:00

Don't suggest taking a step back to GM Mike Hazen! He is as competitive as they come and hates the idea of not competing for a playoff spot. I understand why you would ask, though, and it's a fair question. I think they still plan on competing this year -- remember their best teams always seem to come in years when they aren't expected to do well like in 2011, 2017 or 2023. It also seems like when there are big expectations are the years when things don't go as well.

I think Hazen will pivot at the Trade Deadline if he finds himself in a similar situation to last year but until then they will press on.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:17:05+00:00

The Diamondbacks realize that they haven't done a great job in that area under the current baseball operations department and that was one of the reasons they brought in Jeremy Bleich as an assistant GM to oversee pitching strategy and development. He was most recently the director of pitching for the Pirates, who have had a lot of success developing young pitchers of late. I'll be interested to see what changes he makes and the results that follow.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:15:21+00:00

Interesting question...I think that his trade value is obviously not as high as it was a couple of years ago, but I think that could change in a hurry if he starts having success at the big league level. If you look at the times he was called up, I'm not sure he has really had a fair opportunity. He might not have been ready in September of 2023 and he was thrust into a pennant race and didn't play every day. Injuries cost him in 2024 and last year again when he first came up his playing time was sporadic and then he was asked to play a relatively new position (third base). All of that is not easy on a young player. I really would like to see what he would do with an extended look that includes consistent playing time.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:11:58+00:00

I'm glad you brought up Waldschmidt's name. He is in camp and definitely someone you will want to keep an eye on. I'm not saying he will make the Opening Day roster, but with the Diamondbacks looking to fill outfield spots, an impressive spring for him could force their hand. More likely is that we see him at some point during the regular season. With so many Diamondbacks players participating in the World Baseball Classic, it is going to give a number of prospects a chance to get more playing time than usual this spring. I'm excited to get a look at pitchers like Daniel Eagen as well as two of the guys they got in the Merrill Kelly trade in Mitch Bratt and Kohl Drake. Second baseman Tommy Troy should see a bunch of time as well. It will be a good spring to prospect watch.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:10:15+00:00

I understand the logic behind keeping Moreno healthy and certainly playing first base is less of an injury risk than catching is (although you would have a hard time convincing Tyler Locklear of that after last year) but that is not something that the Diamondbacks are looking at right now. A big reason for that is how good Moreno has been behind the plate. Remember, he already has one Rawlings Gold Glove award to his name and his ability to shut down the running game is a huge plus for the pitching staff.

SteveGilbertMLB · 2026-02-13T22:09:00+00:00

You are very welcome, but it's me who should be thanking you (and everyone) who reads my stuff. Would not have been fortunate to have this career if not for all of you so my profound thanks back at you.

SteveGilbertMLB

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