The focus has recently been on the Arizona Diamondbacks on whether or not the team would trade superstar second baseman Ketel Marte. The other big news was the emergence of the Diamondbacks as a possible destination for star third baseman Alex Bregman.
But it’s possible that none of these things will happen. And in the meantime, the Diamondbacks still have to move forward to improve their roster. Obviously, pitching, and at this point, helping the bullpen, remains the number one priority. But this does not exclude the need to continue to escalate the offense.
Diamondbacks need upgrades at first base and DH
The “conventional wisdom” is that the D-backs are looking to add a right-handed bat to balance out a platoon at first base with lefty Pavin Smith. The possibility of Paul Goldschmidt returning to the D-backs to fill such a role has been raised.
But a closer look at projections and playing time as the roster is currently constructed reveals the need for an upgrade on the left side of the batter’s box. It’s important to keep in mind that approximately 70% of all starts against D-backs will come against right-handed starting pitchers, and once relievers are taken into account, over 65% of all at-bats will come against right-handers.
That means about 850 plate appearances will be filled by left-handed hitters at first base and DH.
Pavin Smith should man first base, but likely in a strict platoon. He’s projected to hit just .237/.334/.391, .725 OPS per Steamer, and ZiPS has a nearly identical projection at .237.332/.392, .724 OPS.
When moving to the DH slot, the majority of left-handed DH plate appearances, according to FanGraphs depth charts, should be taken by Adrian Del Castillo. His projections aren’t good, coming in at Steamer’s .237/.308/.399, .717 OPS and .225/.293/.381, .674 OPS.
Diamondbacks open to adding left-handed bat
Given the above projections and roster construction, I asked general manager Mike Hazen if conventional wisdom could deviate and if he was willing to add a left-handed bat to improve either the DH or first base slot.
“I wouldn’t say I’m committed to anything. I don’t know what the conventional wisdom is.” Hazen said.
“I think that when we ask ourselves the question of the balance between Pavin [Smith] and others, yes, a right-hander is to some extent preferable, given that he is left-handed. We are in the offensive market, we would be open-minded to any eventuality. »
Ryan O’Hearn could be a good choice
One player who could fit the bill perfectly is 32-year-old Ryan O’Hearn. The left-handed hitter had a career year in 2025, hitting .281/.366/.437, .803 OPS. This equates to 125 OPS+, well above average. It’s been a solid three-year run for O’Hearn, as he posted a 122 OPS+ in 2023 and 119 in 2024.
Thanks to a blistering 45 PA against a left-handed pitcher for the Padres after a midseason trade this year, his splits actually hit an .832 OPS against lefties and .795 against righties.
However, we should not expect such a reverse split in the future. His career splits before 2025 show a .555 OPS against lefties and .750 against righties from 2018-2024.
O’Hearn’s 2025 projection from Steamer is .266/.338/.424, .761 OPS. This is a bit better than Smith and a significant upgrade from Del Castillo.
O’Hearn played above-average defense at first base in 2025, recording +6 FRV from Statcast and +4 DRS from Baseball-Reference. He also plays corner field, although slightly below average. He has also been listed as a DH more than 50 times each of the last two seasons.
FanGraphs’ crowdsourced contract estimates for O’Hearn are two years, or $24 million, or $12 million in average annual salary. If the D-backs were truly a potential suitor for Alex Bregman, they can certainly afford O’Hearn, who has similar projections to Bregman (.761 vs. .788).
Ryan O’Hearn could be a significant upgrade for the Diamondbacks at DH or first base in 2025. As the Diamondbacks look to fill holes in the roster and improve their offense with their pitching staff, he’s a player they should at least give the nod to.
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