Diamondbacks free agents who won't be back
RHP Zac Gallen
Gallen's ERA inflated to 3.65 in 2024, and after his final start on Friday, his 2025 ERA ends at 4.85. Granted, Gallen did pitch better down the stretch, posting a 3.32 ERA in 10 starts since the start of August, but his overall numbers were not good.
Despite his rough year, the odds of Gallen accepting a cheap short-term deal are probably slim. There's a chance Gallen will accept the Qualifying Offer, and that's an outcome Arizona should be happy with, but even given their poor rotation, giving Gallen the kind of contract I suspect he'll be getting would be a mistake.
LHP Jalen Beeks
This season was a disappointing one for Arizona, but that doesn't mean every move the organization made was a bad one. The decision to sign Jalen Beeks right before Opening Day to a cheap one-year deal paid off pretty nicely.
In a team-leading 61 appearances, Beeks has posted a 3.77 ERA across 57.1 innings of work. He doesn't strike out many, but he held left-handed hitters to a .611 OPS. Arizona's bullpen had all sorts of problems this season, but Beeks was one of the few relievers Torey Lovullo could trust in most spots.
While Beeks had a nice year, particularly for the contract he was on, Arizona needs to aim higher in the 'pen, especially with both A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez set to miss at least part of the 2026 campaign. Beeks is very replaceable, and it shouldn't be hard to find an upgrade.
INF Ildemaro Vargas
The Diamondbacks brought Ildemaro Vargas back for his third Diamondbacks stint this past offseason, and considering expectations, he didn't play poorly when given a chance. He's appeared in 36 big league games and has slashed .271/.295/.393 in those contests with three home runs and 19 RBI in 113 plate appearances. While Vargas hasn't been bad, his 88 OPS+ is still below league-average, and as his career OPS+ mark of 78 would suggest, it is probably an anomaly.
Vargas has spent parts of nine years in the majors and has hit a total of 20 home runs in over 1,300 plate appearances with a .647 OPS. He can play several positions and doesn't strike out much, but he doesn't provide enough value on either side of the ball to even warrant a bench spot.
This, compounded with the fact that he cannot be optioned to Triple-A without passing through waivers, makes it unlikely that the Diamondbacks will entertain bringing the 34-year-old back.