Arizona Diamondbacks: 2 Glaring Needs This Offseason

Although 74-88 isn't going to make you a playoff team anytime soon, the Arizona Diamondbacks climbed out of a huge hole in 2022, improving from their dreadful 110-loss season in 2021. Strides have been made. And a young positional core is starting to form, as well as the top of the rotation. 

There are, of course, a number of improvements this team still has to make to get into the playoff conversation. Although they're unlikely to be big spenders on the free agent market, they'll be delving into trade talks. And they do have a surplus at one position, the outfield, that they could look to trade from. Daulton Varsho, Alek Thomas, Corbin Carroll and Jake McCarthy are all talented youngsters that they'd be loath to give up, but hey, you gotta give something to get something. 

The two glaring needs they'll need to address this winter to get to the next phase of their rebuild:

Veteran Starting Pitcher

Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are clearly stars ready to lead the rotation, and there are some other youngsters working in the minors who might be a year or so away. But 33-year-old Madison Bumgarner has been rocked pretty hard the past few seasons; he finished with a 4.88 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP this year, and the D-Backs would love to unload the $37M he's still owed over the next two years. They'll need to somehow find more starting depth, and it could come with a trade of one of their talented young outfielders.

Bullpen

Staying in the pitching vein, the bullpen is in far worse shape than the rotation. With an ERA of 4.58 and a meager 33 saves, there wasn't a lot of relief coming out of the 'pen in 2022. They tried signing veteran closer Mark Melancon this past season, but that failed miserably. A trade would be the best way to look at improving the bullpen. 

Photo: Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK