👋 GOOD MORNING – Happy Tuesday, and congrats on making it through an entire day without any Arizona sports heartbreak.

Yesterday was a pretty good day for former Diamondback Josh Naylor, who just got $92.5 million from the Mariners. I guess that closes the door on an unlikely reunion in the desert, huh…

But there are a few D-backs narratives rolling around after this past week. Let’s take a look at the recent rumblings.

Here we go!

— Alex D’Agostino, PHNX Sports Daily Editor

Catching Up on D-backs’ Offseason Rumors

Well, it’s not exactly the busiest time of the year for baseball, but there’s been some rumors flying around with regard to the D-backs’ offseason.

It’s going to be an interesting one to witness, that’s for sure. Arizona needs a ton of help (particularly on the pitching staff) and has very few resources to make that happen.

The GM Meetings in Las Vegas happened this past week, and while D-backs GM Mike Hazen didn’t say anything tangible (does a GM ever, really?), there are a few things to take note of from the latest cycle of rumors.

• Ketel Marte Trade Rumors

We’ve already touched on this, but essentially the story so far is this: Ketel Marte is not one of the “untouchable” players on Arizona’s roster, and Hazen feels he has a “responsibility” to listen to offers, but the team is not actively shopping their three-time All-Star despite a recent report calling them “motivated” to do so.

A trade package would have to be more than worthwhile to the D-backs to get a Marte deal done — think Hunter Greene or similar.

My Take: A top-tier, controllable starting pitcher would be worth more to the D-backs than one out of nine bats in the order (even if that bat is elite), but it seems very unlikely Arizona will get the type of offer they want in order to move Marte. Personally, I’m more on board with the deal if the return is right, but I don’t expect that type of offer to materialize.

• Outfield Trade Rumors

Sources told Nick Piecoro of AZCentral that the D-backs do expect to move one of Alek Thomas or Jake McCarthy in a potential trade. Since neither of them have really produced enough to be considered hot commodities, it’s unclear if the mindset is for them to be headliners in modest deals, or throw-ins for a larger deal.

McCarthy has been more offensively productive, while Thomas has been generally considered the better defender. Either way, it seems that only one of the two will depart.

My Take: The D-backs don’t really need either one of these players since, but neither do most other clubs. At least, not in terms of solely bringing back any type of impact player. McCarthy has shown an ability to be a very useful hitter, but also has extreme lows.

I also wonder what the general perception of Thomas would be if he didn’t go deep off Craig Kimbrel in 2023 (sorry, but not really).

I would think McCarthy is slightly more desirable, but Thomas may have more interest from a club in need of defense. Either way, it feels like a deal would be a net neutral for both teams.

• Payroll Decrease: Limiting or not?

Hazen said he doesn’t feel too limited by the decrease in payroll, and does not expect to have to shed payroll in order to make any additions. This comes in the wake of the expectation that Arizona will significantly reduce their payroll this offseason.

My Take: There are ways to get the right players without spending $210 million on them, but Hazen has to say this. Payroll will limit what Arizona can do this offseason, but it doesn’t have to prevent the D-backs from getting what they need. Ken Kendrick has held up his end of the bargain, and I don’t think the payroll reduction is a result of stingy ownership.

• Top Prospect Trade?

Hazen also expressed a willingness to part with high-ranked D-backs prospects, or perhaps even a major leaguer like Jordan Lawlar to get a deal done for a big-time pitcher. It would be hard to say goodbye to someone like No. 1 prospect Ryan Waldschmidt, but that may also be the only way to get a legitimate trade done.

Still, it seems Hazen is much more open to that idea than he’s been in years past.

My Take: Prospect-hugging never benefits anyone. If a beneficial deal is there, do it.

Other D-backs Notes

-Merrill Kelly is likely to receive a two-year deal worth north of $35 million and possibly well over $40 million. A reunion is likely impossible if that is the case.

-Zac Gallen has until the end of today to make a decision on the Qualifying Offer. He is expected to reject it and explore his free agent market.

-The deadline to protect prospects from the Rule 5 Draft is at 6:00 p.m. eastern today. They’ll need to add anyone they want to protect to the 40-man roster by that time. The 40-man is currently at 37 after the team outrighted Christian Montes De Oca yesterday afternoon.

-2025 first-round pick and D-backs No. 3 prospect Kayson Cunningham is moving from shortstop to second base. The 19-year-old made four errors in his first 11 games at shortstop with the Visalia Rawhide last season, but has a long way to go in his development journey.

Quick Hits

Bou-yea!: The Suns signed guard Jamaree Bouyea to a two-way contract yesterday. Bouyea averaged 20 points in the G league this season. To clear a spot, Phoenix has waived forward CJ Huntley, who was averaging 13.3 points and 9.3 rebounds with the Valley Suns.

The Suns will face off against the Portland Trailblazers on the road tonight in a 9:00 p.m. (Arizona time) matchup.

Valley of the Sol: University of Arizona Athletics announced a brand-new stadium naming rights deal yesterday. In a $60 million-plus deal, Arizona Stadium will now be named Casino Del Sol Stadium, in partnership with the Pascua Yaqui tribe.

Change is hard, but there’s great nickname potential here.

Bounce-back: Arizona State men’s hoops fended off the Georgia State Panthers with a 75-62 win in Tempe. Senior guard Maurice Odum led the scoring with 24 points, while Mor Massambe Diop had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Bobby Hurley and the Sun Devils improve to 3-1 on the season.

Gannon-ball: The Cardinals remain committed to head coach Jonathan Gannon, despite back-to-back blowout losses to divisional opponents. Arizona’s coaching staff has yet to undergo any changes this season despite the extremely disappointing season to this point.

Tip of the Hat by Branded Bills

Shield your eyes…