Diamondbacks Pick Up Merrill Kelly’s Option, Joc Pederson Declines His

The Arizona Diamondbacks accomplished a lot in the three days after the World Series. They took care of much of their remaining business while getting a handle on roster wants and needs as the free agent shopping season approaches.

The D-backs on Saturday exercised their one-year, $7 million option on right-hander Merrill Kelly, a move that was considered a foregone conclusion. Kelly has been one of the top pitchers in the National League when healthy, and he is more than a bargain at that price.

Outfielder/DH Joc Pederson, as expected, declined his $14 million mutual option and took a $3 million buyout to become a free agent for the fourth time in five seasons. The D-Backs also declined the $4 million option on reliever Scott McGough, giving him a $750,000 buyout instead.

As the free agency signing period is set to begin Tuesday, the D-backs have:

— finalized the pool for the starting rotation by retaining Kelly and left-hander Jordan Montgomery, who accepted his $22.5 million option earlier this week.

— cemented one corner infield spot by picking up the $15 million option on third baseman Eugenio Suarez, who has 30 or more homers in three of the last four seasons. The move enables them to keep a power bat as others have left.

— lost the productive outfield/DH combination of Pederson and Randal Grichuk, who combined for for 35 homers and 110 RBIs last season after signing one-year free agent deals last winter. Grichuk also opted out.

First basemen Christian Walker and Josh Bell, reliever Paul Sewald and infielder Kevin Newman are eligible for free agency. Walker appears to be the only one holding their interest.

Walker is the current priority. The D-Backs have until Monday to extend a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer on a 2025 contract to Walker, a procedural move that would guarantee them a compensatory pick in the 2025 June draft if the offer is refused.

An offer certainly seems likely. Walker has been their cleanup hitter the last three seasons and was a Gold Glove winner in 2022-23. He was on pace for another 30-homer, Gold Glove season until an oblique injury just before the 2024 trading deadline caused him to miss almost a month. He finished with 26 homers and 84 RBIs in 130 games.

Players have until Nov. 19 to accept a qualifying offer. If Walker accepts, he will be considered under contract for 2025, although that does not preclude the sides from working on a long-term extension.

At the same time, Walker appears just as certain to decline the offer now that he has reached the stage of his career when he can 1) allow the market determine his value and 2) have a voice in identifying the best landing spot for for him and his family. The D-Backs can also re-sign him even if he declines the offer.

Kelly, who will play next season at 36, was never going anywhere. He has been a staple of the Arizona rotation since 2019, when he returned from successful four-year stay with SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization.

Zac Gallen, who is in his final year of arbitration eligibility, and Kelly have been a solid 1-2 punch at the top of the D-Backs rotation since 2021. Kelly was particularly effective in 2023, when he won 12 games finished fifth in the league with a 3.29 ERA.

He was their most effective pitcher in the postseason, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS and the Philadelphia Phillies in NLCS. He also beat the Texas Rangers in the World Series.

Kelly made only 13 appearances last season because of a teres major strain in his right shoulder suffered a month into the season, but he returned in August and made nine starts down the stretch. He was 5-1 with a 4.03 ERA.

Kelly’s presence has benefitted the D-Backs off the field, too. He has played under team-friendly contracts since his arrival from South Korea, a situation that helps the team defray the cost of left-handers Montgomery and Eduardo Rodriguez, who signed a four-year, $80 million free agent deal last winter.

The D-backs signed Kelly to a two-year, $5.5 million contract in his return to the U.S. in 2019, a deal that included two options that paid him $9.5 million in 2021-22. He signed a two-year, $18 million deal before the 2023 season that included the 2025 option.

Kelly, Gallen, Montgomery, Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson are considered the top candidates for rotation spots under a new regime after pitching coach Brent Strom was let go following the season.

Gallen, Nelson and Pfaadt were double-digit winners. Slade Cecconi and Tommy Henry also remain. Cecconi made 13 starts last season and Henry made seven when injuries forced Kelly and Rodriguez out early.

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