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The Diamondbacks announced that they have agreed to a five-year contract extension with right-hander . It runs from 2026 through 2030 with a club option for 2031 and a mutual option for 2032. Reportedly, he is guaranteed $45MM with the following breakdown: $2MM signing bonus, a $3MM salary in 2026 followed by subsequent salaries of $5MM, $8MM, $11MM and $15MM. Then theres a $21MM figure on the 31 club option and a $25MM mutual option in 2032, with each of those options having a $1MM buyout. He will reportedly have a five-team no-trade from 2030 to 2032. Pfaadt was previously slated for free agency after 2029, so this buys out at least one free agent year and the club option extends the clubs window of control by another season. The deal also reportedly includes a five-team no-trade list covering the 2030-32 seasons. Pfaadt is represented by Frontline. Pfaadt, 26, was a fifth-round selection of the Diamondbacks in 2020. He quickly raised his stock with some strong minor league numbers. In 2021, he to sed 131 2/3 innings over 22 starts, spread acro s Single-A, High-A and Double-A. He had a combined 3.21 earned run average, 30.2% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate. In 2022, it was 167 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A with a 3.83 ERA, 31.6% strikeout rate and 4.8% walk rate. Ceddanne Rafaela Jersey Going into 2023, he was considered one of the top prospects in baseball. He made his major league debut that year with 96 innings over 18 starts and one relief appearance. The 5.72 ERA doesnt look amazing at first glance but Pfaadts 22.3% strikeout rate was around league average with a strong 6.2% walk rate. He held a spot in the rotation through the playoffs, making five postseason starts with a 3.27 ERA as the Diamondbacks took the National League pennant. 2024 was his first full season in the majors and he again performed better than his ERA would tell you. He allowed 4.71 earned run per nine over his 32 starts and 181 2/3 innings. His 24.3% strikeout rate and 5.5% walk rate were both strong numbers. At this point, Pfaadt has a 5.06 ERA in 277 2/3 innings but that doesnt tell the whole story. As mentioned, his strikeout and walk rates have been good. His .315 batting average on balls in play and 66.4% strand rate are both on the unlucky side. His 4.15 FIP and 3.86 SIERA point to him being roughly one run better than his ERA. The Diamondbacks are presumably putting more stock in those under-the-hood numbers in committing to Pfaadt today. He was previously set to hit the open market after his age-30 season but they have instead locked him up through his age-31 season with a club option for his age-32 campaign as well. Looking at , there have been a few recent extensions for pitchers in their pre-arb years. The top of the list has guys like at $75MM, at $55MM and at $53MM. Those guys were all younger than Pfaadt is now and Greene also had the hype of being a second overall pick and high-profile prospect. Strider was just wrapping up a 2022 season with an insane 38.3% strikeout rate. Pfaadts $45MM deal comes in just a hair under s recent $47.2MM deal. Thats understandable since Bibee has a 3.25 ERA, 25.3% strikeout rate and 6.9% walk rate in 315 2/3 innings. Those numbers all put him a bit ahead of Pfaadt. Hes also a year closer to free agency, which gives him a bit of extra earning power. For Pfaadt, he is kicking his free agency down the road, which will presumably lead to le s future earning power. However, unlike some top prospects, he hasnt been sitting on a multi-million-dollar bonus. He only got $100K when he signed and wasnt slated to qualify for arbitration until after the 2026 season. This deal allows him to lock up some life-changing money ahead of schedule and before his career gets derailed by an injury, an ever-present concern for a pitcher. For the Diamondbacks, they have been aggre sive in locking up their incumbent players. In the past six weeks, they have given to shortstop , reliever and now Pfaadt. The current rotation in Arizona is overloaded but the long-term picture is more open. For the 2025 season, they have , , , and Pfaadt in five spots. is working in long relief even though hes talented enough to pitch in the rotation of many other clubs. But Gallen and Kelly are both impending free agents. Burnes has an opt-out after 2026. Rodrguez is guaranteed through 2027. As the next few years play out, its po sible that each of those guys eventually leaves Arizona. Pitchers within the system could po sibly replace them, with Nelson, , , and some other arms already in house. As that plays out, the Snakes are surely hoping that Pfaadt can be a constant in their rotation as one group potentially makes way for another. The club is currently running a franchise-record payroll but has some decent money coming off the books. In addition to the aforementioned pitchers, s deal expires after 2025. Hes making $22.5MM this year but wont pitch at all due to Tommy John surgery. is making $15MM this year and also slated for free agency. That will potentially create a hole at third base but its po sible that prospect could provide a cost-effective replacement. is only guaranteed through 2026 and 2027. first reported the $45MM guarantee. of relayed the option values. reported the limited no-trade protection and then . Gambadoro that the no-trade covered five teams. Photos courtesy of Joe Rondone and Rob Schumacher, Imagn Images Tyler O'neill Jersey |
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