D-backs' Infield Shakeup Could Define the Next Era

With three infield spots up for grabs, the Diamondbacks enter a pivotal year of change that will define their next contention window.

Over the next year, the D-backs’ infield will see sweeping changes. Only Geraldo Perdomo is locked in at shortstop long-term. Everyone else? On the move, up for grabs, or fighting to prove they belong.

Even if they won't admit it outright, the D-backs are in a soft rebuild they hope to finish by the end of the 2026 season. Most of their impact arms in 2025 are on the shelf with major injuries. While they wait for Corbin Burnes and Justin Martinez to finish their recovery from Tommy John surgery, they can sort out the rest of the roster and compete for a title again starting in 2027.

Other than the pitching staff, the biggest changes will happen on the infield. Three of the four spots are expected to see major changes by the time their next contention window opens. That's the area where their farm system is strongest and likely to carry the team through their next contention window. We'll have a strong

We'll examine the outlook at each of the three positions and the players competing for those jobs.

First Base: Tyler Locklear's Job to Lose

The D-backs are putting a lot of faith in Locklear as their solution at first base. Acquired as the centerpiece in the Eugenio Suárez trade, along with pitchers Hunter Cranton and Juan Burgos, they're expecting him to play a key role in their lineup for the next window.

For the past decade-plus, Arizona has been spoiled by high-quality first basemen who could hit 30 homers, drive in 100 runs, and play Gold Glove caliber defense. The best-case scenario for Locklear is that he can hopefully grow into that type of bat while playing acceptable levels of defense.

The runway for Locklear is going to be the end of the 2026 season. That's when Groover will be banging on the door for a big league opportunity. Between the two prospects, the D-backs are in a much better position for contending if Locklear hits his offensive ceiling. Even with a weaker hit tool, he has a larger power ceiling, and there will be a need for a 30-homer bat that can drive in 100 runs in the middle of their lineup.

With a long runway ahead of him, the focus for Locklear should be more on process rather than results. The key for him is improving his swing decisions and generating loud contact more often. The long-term goal is for him to assume the Christian Walker mantle as the primary run-producer in the lineup.

The key metrics to monitor will be chase rate, whiff rate, zone contact%, hard-hit%, and pull air%. Fortunately, those are all publicly available on his Statcast page, so you'll be able to track along with me. However, it's important to note he has only 43 plate appearances and has seen 186 pitches in his D-backs career. With that small a sample size, it will be difficult to develop any meaningful conclusions.

By the end of the season, the hope is that 200 plate appearances and 800 pitches seen will be enough to decide if he's ready to take on a bigger role in the lineup in 2026.

Second Base: Replacing Ketel Marte

I've already addressed this topic in a previous entry, concluding that Tommy Troy was the best long-term candidate. Troy will be my No. 2 prospect in my next prospect list release, one that doesn't include Lawlar, Locklear, or Adrian Del Castillo.

However, Troy is not likely to take an at-bat in a D-backs uniform until we're more than a quarter of the way through the 2026 season. That gives the D-backs a window of 80-90 games where they can evaluate other solutions. They could either start the process of moving Marte out of second base and turn to Lawlar or Alexander more consistently at the keystone. However, until Lawlar can get back on the field, this is merely conjecture.

Unless Marte is an absolute butcher defensively, it may still be better to play him there most of the time with starts at DH vs. lefties, where they can insert a younger option defensively. The D-backs' 3-time All-Star will turn 32 in October, so it's not a stretch to assume the defensive value will decline along with his range.

Unlike the corner infield spots, this is a situation where there's less urgency to act before next Opening Day. They can afford to let the situations play out at third base first and for Troy to get another 300 PA in Reno before making any long-term decisions.