Even after bringing back outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on a three-year deal that became official on Friday morning, Diamondbacks General Manager Mike Hazen said he still has his sights set on adding yet another established hitter to his lineup.
Though he already has made several significant additions — signing free-agent starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez, acquiring third baseman Eugenio Suarez and now retaining Gurriel — Hazen hesitated when asked if the heavy lifting is complete this offseason.
“No, I don’t really feel like the lifting is done,” he said. “I feel like we’ve certainly added to our team. I think our team on paper, starting out next season, is going to be in a very similar, if not slightly better, position than we started out 2023 with. That’s a decent starting point. I think the competitiveness within our division is going to require us to continue to upgrade the roster any way we can.”
That competitiveness came into even clearer focus on Thursday night, with reports that the division rival Los Angeles Dodgers had eclipsed $1 billion in financial commitments this offseason following their agreement with free-agent starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Having already guaranteed two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani $700 million, the Dodgers are now giving another $325 million to Yamamoto, who is following Ohtani to the majors after a successful stint in Japan’s top league. They also acquired starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow and signed him to a $136.5 million deal.
Gurriel, who gets a guaranteed $42 million but can opt out after the second year of the deal, likely will see the bulk of his time in left field or designated hitter. That, however, could change depending on whether the club makes another move.
“We’re still looking to add a position player to the lineup, now that we have Suarez and Gurriel, I’m not so sure it has to be right-handed,” Hazen said. “I think we have flexibility now in how this can come together.”
That feels like something of a shift given that Hazen has appeared focused on right-handed hitters; as such, it could open up the club to more areas of the market.
Hazen said he likely will weigh a player’s offensive production more heavily but would prefer to have a player with the ability to offer some defensive value.
“But it’s more bat-oriented as a priority,” Hazen said. “I think we have enough positional flexibility to take on more of an offensive profile.”
Gurriel said he was happy to be back in an organization that made him feel welcome after he was acquired in a trade this time last year, adding that the relationships he built with teammates played a big part in his decision to return.
“I always have my priorities kind of in line,” Gurriel said, speaking through interpreter Alex Arpiza. “First and foremost, if my family is comfortable here in the city, the organization. Secondly, if I am comfortable with the team, the club, the organization, the players and so forth. With all that in mind, that was first and foremost to be able to secure that and that was really the driving force behind me returning.”
Another factor was to help a team that got so close to a championship get over the hump.
“We were at the doorstep of making history,” Gurriel said. “We kind of came up a little bit short to be able to get the ring. It’s definitely a huge motivation for me to want to come back and be a part of that and get to that ultimate goal.”
Gurriel hit .261/.309/.463 with 24 homers and 82 RBIs while playing strong defense in left field. It was the third time in the past four full seasons that he eclipsed 20 homers, the lone exception being in 2022 when he was playing through a broken hamate in his left wrist.
Hazen said Gurriel was a “top target” for the club, hinting at the fact that the free-agent market was light on appealing right-handed hitting outfielders.
“We felt like we needed to continue to add to our outfield and the middle of our lineup, specifically right-handed hitting, so he was a natural fit through all of that,” Hazen said. “Secondarily, I think what he added to our clubhouse last year, what he does for our players, his makeup, his work ethic, those were major factors in bringing him back.”
Though the Gurriel signing pushed the club’s internal payroll figure into the range of $143 million, team sources have indicated the Diamondbacks might be willing to further stretch the budget.
Gurriel’s deal calls for salaries of $10 million in 2024, $14 million in 2025 and $13 million in 2026 with a $14 million team option for 2027 that can be bought out for $5 million.
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