1. Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks finished their 2024 season in a three-way tie with the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets for the last two spots in the Wild Card.
The Braves earned the No. 5 seed by winning the season series against both the Mets and Diamondbacks, while the Mets earned the No. 6 seed by the same tiebreaker over Arizona. Suffice to say, it was a heartbreaking way for the season to end in the desert after the D-Backs came up just short of winning the title in 2023.
The Diamondbacks have seven players that hit free agency, including first basemen Christian Walker and Josh Bell, infielder Kevin Newman (signed with Los Angeles Angels), right fielder Randal Grichuk, designated hitter Joc Pederson, and relief pitchers Paul Sewald and Scott McGough.
Their offense ranked 1st in both batting average and runs scored per game this past season. Walker significantly contributed to the team's success in these stats, but re-signing him will be difficult as he's expected to have many suitors following his third Gold Glove season. If the team does not re-up with Walker, then Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is a viable option for first base (though he's not the game-changing addition we're projecting).
The Diamondbacks' pitching staff was their biggest weakness in 2024. The starters ranked 27th with an abysmal 4.77 ERA, and the bullpen was just as bad, ranking 25th with a 4.41 ERA. This offseason, the focus must be on pitching, as the offense has viable options at each position.
Losing Sewald would mean the closer role is up for grabs. Tanner Scott is just the man for the job. He was traded from the Miami Marlins to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline this past season, posting a 2.73 ERA (2.33 FIP) in his news digs. He was even better before the trade, dropping an absurd 1.18 ERA in 45 2/3 innings with Miami.
As a lefty reliever with sterling metrics, Scott will be a popular target this offseason, although the Diamondbacks have $107 million in CBT space, so they can be aggressive in getting the top bullpen arm available. Retaining Sewald and bringing in the All-Star closer would give them a huge boost at the end of games, though snagging Scott from a division rival may prove more fruitful if they're forced to choose.