After a razor-thin miss of the postseason, the Arizona Diamondbacks are looking to start strong next season. How much is first base worth in 2025?
What First Base Is Worth To The Diamondbacks Next Season
2024 was a rollercoaster of a season that saw the Diamondbacks start as one of the least likely teams to repeat a postseason run, move to become the hottest team in baseball, and then end their season hoping for a 2-game sweep by either team in a delayed series that played out after all other teams had finished play for the season. As entertaining as the shenanigans leading to the final postseason picture were, it’s important to note that the Diamondbacks were poised to secure their Wildcard slot and attempt a return to the World Series just days out from the end of the season; the following collapse is well known.
Missing The Postseason
It’s not that the 2024 Diamondbacks were worse than last year’s Cinderella team- they finished 5 games ahead of last season’s win total. The issue this season was that it wasn’t just the Diamondbacks trying to flip their fortune, but rather, they were one of many late-surging teams to challenge for the final Wildcard slots. Eventually, baseball fans saw the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves split their series, resulting in both teams entering the postseason, though the Mets fared better than the Braves in the Wildcard round. Considering the always-crowded race to the postseason. How much is first base worth to the team?
Christian Walker, .251/.335/.468, has been a staple of the Diamondbacks lineup since 2017, giving fans an anchor-star player they could consistently root for, hoping they could be the difference in any given game. They have seen it before and hope to avoid the kind of slump that followed the last time Arizona decided first base just wasn’t worth the pay.
First Base Wasn’t Worth It Before
Paul Goldschmidt played for them from 2011 until 2018, accumulating a slash line of .297/.398/.532 during his time with the Snakes, all the while reminding fans that franchise players have been key to postseason success.
However, He departed the roster after becoming too expensive for the franchise to justify; the result backfired immediately. While the prospects and draft pick ultimately didn’t pay off, Goldschmidt amassed 153 home runs, 478 RBIs, and a batting average of .278 over his career with the St. Louis Cardinals, which looks to be coming to an end (internal link) Goldschmidt’s high salary command ultimately led to his parting ways with Diamondbacks, which weren’t able to begin to recover the defensive and offensive contributions from first base until the signing of Christian Walker in 2017.
While the front office may have ultimately said yes to the trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, the fanbase suffered. Franchise players are immediately recognizable and can bridge the gap between the team and fans, especially if the team isn’t hitting the postseason consistently. Goldschmidt’s departure led to the team losing casual interest, only recovering in recent seasons when a new crop of players organically took on the Diamondbacks mantel, eventually bringing the Snakes to a 2023 push for the postseason.
Necessary Evils
While the Diamondbacks haven’t traditionally been the team that can flip an entire season on just a couple of trades, they have demonstrated that sometimes these fan-unfriendly trades are necessary to secure position in future seasons. They traded one of the greatest pitchers of all time in order to save a buck, only to re-sign Randy Johnson toward the end of his career.
As the highest-scoring offense in 2023, the Diamondbacks are expected to carry the bats into 2025, where it will continue to aid any failings in Arizona’s pitching. A key to this strategy this and last season was Christian Walker, using both bat and glove to become a fan-favorite star. However, simply retaining Walker is a tall order; considering his current contract, it would perplex the Diamondbacks organization and force other hard decisions if they intend to try to keep him on board. Walker would command a salary in 2025 worth $5.625 million, almost double his last contract. Is first base worth it?
While it may seem risky to the front office, re-signing Walker to his market value can help keep most of the explosive Arizona offense intact, it will also pay off in defensive prowess, something fans want to see in next year’s Answerbacks after narrowly missing the postseason.
Hope No Matter What
Unlike the last time the Diamondbacks gave up a starting first baseman, there are other options at first, though they would also command a commitment from the Diamondbacks front office to proceed. Josh Bell has shown promise offensively, with a slash line of .239/.305/304. The Diamondbacks signed Bell to the remainder of 2024 with a $2.25 million buyout of his initial $16.5 million contract with the Marlins. This may seem a bit steep, but it’s still a discount from a full Walker signing.
Another option for first base is utility slugger Pavin Smith, who, at around $1 million, is an attractive offer if the market likes Walker. Though he was squeezed out of the lineup early in 2023, he was called up late in the season after a promising rehab assignment to fill in where he needed, be it first base or the outfield. Smith’s versatility and bat could prove a solution if a Walker-sized hole opens in the lineup.
PAVIN SMITH
THREE-FOR-THREE
THREE HOMERS
EIGHT RBI pic.twitter.com/SRlSMlwx0n— MLB (@MLB) September 9, 2024
How Much Is First Base Worth For 2025?
Considering that major changes have already occurred just days after their elimination, one can reasonably suspect they will be active after the quiet period, and the first base will certainly be in play. The question comes down to how much a solid-defense first baseman and slugger is worth to a franchise looking to recapture recent success. Diamondbacks fans are hoping it’s a little over 5 and a half million.
Main Photo Credits: Allan Henry-Imagn Images
