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The Diamondbacks have hired the outfielder Randal Grichuk to a one-year deal worth $2 million in guaranteed money, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (link). Grichuk will earn $1.5 million in base salary in 2024, and there is a $500,000 buyout with a mutual option for the 2025 season. If both sides exercise the mutual option, Grichuk will earn $6 million in 2025. Grichuk is represented by Excel Sports Management.
Grichuk hit .267/.321/.459 with 16 home runs in 471 plate appearances for the Rockies and Angels last season, translating to a perfect 100 wRC+ for the 32-year-old. This matches the 100 wRC+ Grichuk has posted over his entire 10-year career on the Show, with a .249/.296/.465 line and 191 home runs in 4,261 plate appearances. Within those overall numbers is a decidedly superior set of numbers against left-handed pitchers, as right-handed hitter Grichuk has a career .822 OPS against lefties compared to a .735 OPS against righties.
Since the start of the 2020 season, Grichuk’s splits have expanded as he has All-Star level numbers against lefties and sub-supplement level production against righties. With the door likely to close on Grichuk’s viability as an everyday player, this perhaps makes him an ideal option for a Diamondbacks team looking for some right-handed balance within a left-handed outfield mix.
Reports surfaced last week that Grichuk was one of the players the Snakes were considering as a veteran outfield complement. Corbin Carroll and Alex Thomasas well as the recently signed Joc Pederson. All three players are left-handed hitters and only Carroll is safe for the everyday job, so Grichuk should be able to find plenty of at-bats filling in for Pederson or Thomas when there’s a lefty on the mound. Grichuk can play all three outfield positions and is at least passable defensively in center, which increases his value as a part-time player.
After surprisingly winning the National League pennant, the Diamondbacks have been aggressive in bolstering their roster this offseason. Eduardo RodrÃguez signed a four-year, $80 million contract Lourdes Gurriel Jr. He was re-signed to a three-year, $42 million commitment, and Pederson will earn $12.5 million in guaranteed money on his one-year contract (with a mutual option for 2025). Among these signings, Grichuk and the transfer he brought Eugenio Suarez Since the Mariners, Arizona has improved the rotation and added plenty of balance, power and veteran experience to the position player mix.
The D’Backs are projected have a payroll slightly less than $143 million next season, according to Roster Resource. While still a fairly modest payroll by league-wide standards, it stands as the largest payroll in Arizona franchise history and a considerable increase over the club’s opening day payroll of $116.1 million. starting in 2023. Between these expenses and new extensions for both general manager Mike Hazen and manager Torey Lovullo, the Diamondbacks clearly feel that 2023 was just the beginning of a new window of contention and have used their additional playoff revenue to reinvest in the workforce.