SnakeBytes 1/13: Skubal’s Epic Arbitration Case

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Diamondbacks News​

D-backs’ Michael Soroka ready to represent Canada in World Baseball Classic by Wendy Lopez [Burn City Sports]

“I’ve had this one circled on the calendar for a while, one that I really wanted to be able to do, for a multitude of reasons,” Soroka said Saturday ahead of Baseball Canada’s annual awards banquet, according to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi. “I’m at a point where I have a good idea of what it takes to get ready for that. Physically, this is the best I’ve probably ever felt in my life, so it’s a good time to do it.”

He’s Staying! Diamondbacks Shut Down Ketel Marte Trade Rumors by Michael McDermott [D-backs Under Review]


Diamondbacks’ Top-5 Prospect Teases 2026 Return by Alex D’Agostino [SI]

Arizona Diamondbacks infield prospect Demetrio Crisantes was one of the more promising hitting prospects in the organization, until a significant shoulder injury claimed almost the entirety of his 2025 season.

Crisantes had been ranked among Arizona’s top five prospects prior to his injury, but suffered a posterior Labral tear in May of 2025. He underwent surgery and missed the rest of the season, but was expected to be ready for a Spring Training return in 2026.

Around the League​

Tarik Skull Is Forcing MLB to Confront Its Broken Arbitration System by Alvin Garcia [Heavy]

In a detailed analysis, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal explains that Skubal’s case represents far more than a $13 million gap between the Tigers’ $19 million filing and the pitcher’s $32 million request. The dispute exposes long-standing weaknesses in an arbitration model built on precedent rather than performance at the extremes.

Skubal enters his final year of arbitration eligibility as a two-time reigning Cy Young winner, a distinction no pitcher has ever carried into this stage of club control. That fact alone pressures a system never designed to evaluate historically dominant players who delay long-term extensions. Rosenthal argues that Skubal’s presence forces arbitration to confront scenarios it has always avoided.

Tucker reportedly has met with Blue Jays, Dodgers, Mets by Thomas Harrigan [MLB]

Over the 20-season span from 1981-2000, there were 80 triple plays turned. Gary Gaetti was involved in 10% of them.

Yes — one player, eight triple plays. The odds are astronomical, but it’s true. Gaetti, who played for the Twins, Angels, Royals, Cardinals, Cubs and Red Sox from 1981-2000, was part of seven triple plays on defense and he also hit into one himself.

JAWS and the 2026 Hall of Fame Ballot: Rick Porcello by Jay Jaffe [fanGraphs]

He was a first-round draft pick, and a rotation regular at age 20. By the time he turned 30, he had won both a Cy Young Award and a World Series ring while helping his teams reach the playoffs six times. On the heels of emerging as the best high school pitching prospect in the country, Rick Porcello packed all of that into a 14-season span, with 12 of those seasons spent in the majors with the Tigers, Red Sox, and Mets. He endured a fair share of growing pains and wild performance swings along the way, threw his last pitch at age 31, and didn’t put up numbers that will keep him on the Hall of Fame ballot. But within that comparatively short timespan, Porcello checked a few pretty impressive boxes.

Stock watch: Mid-winter progress report for all 30 MLB clubs by Bradford Doolittle [ESPN]

17. Arizona Diamondbacks

Win average: 81.5 (Last: 81.4, 18th)
In the playoffs: 31.5% (Last: 32.5%)
Champions: 0.8% (Last: 1.1%)

Progress report: The return of Merrill Kelly and the arrival of Michael Sorokagive Arizona a coherent rotation that’s buoyed by the depth and upside of a slew of near-ready prospects currently slotted for Triple-A. It’s not a dominant group and will need the support of good defense, but luckily Arizona’s array of defenders is among baseball’s best.

The bullpen is much less coherent, ranking last in strikeout rate and dominance in the forecast. Maybe some of those aforementioned Triple-A pitchers can help.

The lineup looks just as productive and exciting as last season … provided Ketel Marte is still around. Given his team-friendly deal, why did his name keep coming up in the rumor mill? Guess it doesn’t hurt to ask.

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