Bold takeaway: The WBC buzz is on, but beneath the headlines lies a mix of opportunity, defense concerns, and contract intrigue that could shift teams’ shapes this season. Here’s a fresh, reader-friendly rewrite that preserves all key details while adding clarity and context.
SnakeBytes 3/3: WBC Exhibitions Begin Today
Diamondbacks News
There wasn’t a long, formal chat between Netherlands manager Andruw Jones and Diamondbacks prospect Druw Jones about teaming up in the World Baseball Classic. The exchange was lighthearted and focused on the opportunity rather than strict plans.
“We obviously like our relationship; we joke back and forth all the time. He’s like, ‘You gotta come play for me, blah, blah, blah, blah.’ So I told him, ‘Yeah, I just have to wait for the team’s approval on everything.’ I was super pumped to get the opportunity,” Druw Jones told Arizona Sports. In other words, both sides are excited, and Druw is awaiting official clearance from the Diamondbacks before committing.
Significantly, the Joneses would become the first father-son duo to work together in WBC history, with Andruw as the manager and Druw as a player.
Coming into camp, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo emphasized defense after a disappointing defensive showing in 2025. Through the current spring, the team has committed seven errors in 10 games, which projects to 113 errors over a full 162-game season if that pace holds.
Some defensive lapses have come from minor league players who are still developing, but there are clear defensive gaps early in camp.
Despite these early miscues, the D-backs shouldn’t be painted as a weak defensive team for the regular season. They have gold-glove-caliber players like Carlos Santana and Nolan Arenado currently away at the WBC. Their absence may explain some of the early defensive inconsistencies, but it doesn’t necessarily reflect how the lineup will perform once everyone’s back.
We now know which team offered Merrill Kelly a three-year contract, and the reason he chose not to accept it in favor of a two-year deal with Arizona. The Padres presented Kelly with a three-year offer during MLB free agency, but he opted for the shorter deal in Phoenix, in part due to California taxes.
Around the League
Paul Goldschmidt (USA) — With 63.8 career WAR, Goldschmidt is close to a lock for the Hall of Fame in the eyes of many, but first-base voters can be tough. Historical examples like Keith Hernandez, Will Clark, and Fred McGriff show that even strong resumes can get complicated by arguments about milestone numbers (e.g., 400 home runs). Still, Hall voters have shown flexibility in the past; Todd Helton was elected with 369 HR and 61.8 WAR, suggesting Goldschmidt’s MVP Award and two runner-up finishes could be enough in time.
{Ed. Note: Ketel Marte is also mentioned in this article in ‘Tier 4: You never know’.}
Mutual movement on the roster: Enter Grichuk, a right-handed hitter who split last season between the Diamondbacks and Royals. This marks his fifth team in five seasons, after stints with the Blue Jays (2018–21), the Rockies (2022–23), the Angels (2023), and the Diamondbacks (2024–25). In 2024 with Arizona, Grichuk posted a strong line: .291/.348/.528 (139 wRC+) with 12 homers and 1.6 WAR over 279 plate appearances. However, his 2025 season dipped to .240/.277/.457 (96 wRC+) across 188 plate appearances before being traded to the Royals for pitching prospect Andrew Hoffmann. In Kansas City, the drop continued to a meager .206/.267/.299 (56 wRC+) with two homers in 105 plate appearances, leaving his overall impact at replacement-level for the Diamondbacks and below replacement with the Royals.
MLB announced a new Spring Breakout tournament format: a single-elimination tournament in 2027 and 2028, crowning one champion in the Grapefruit League and one in the Cactus League. The event will not run in 2026 to avoid clashing with this year’s World Baseball Classic. Love this forward-looking idea for added competition and visibility.
Would you like this rewritten piece tailored for a specific audience (general sports fans vs. Diamondbacks followers), or adjusted for a particular publication style (more analytical, more narrative, or more snappy and column-like)? If you have a preferred tone or length, I can adapt accordingly.
