Age: 37
2025 Teams: Arizona Diamondbacks and Texas Rangers
2025 Stats: 32 GS, 184.0 IP, 157 H (23 HR), 167 K, 48 BB, 3.52 ERA
The Diamondbacks first took a chance on Merrill Kelly in 2018, signing him following his successful stint in the Korean Baseball Organization. Prior to that, he had never actually thrown a pitch in MLB.
It’s fair to say both that chance and especially the extension Kelly signed in 2022 panned out. Save for an injury-shortened 2024 season, he’s been one of the league’s most consistent starters over the last four years.
As an example, Kelly was one of only 13 pitchers to toss over 180 innings with an ERA below 3.60 this season. He beat out Luis Castillo and Kevin Gausman, both of whom are on nine-figure deals, in the latter department.
Yet with Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen, Ranger Suárez, Lucas Giolito and quite a few others also looking for work, the starting pitching market is going to be awfully crowded this winter. And where Kelly is concerned, that might not even be his biggest problem.
As he just turned 37 in October, Kelly is at that age where he can’t expect more than a two- or three-year deal. If he waits too long, even one of those might not materialize.
Ideal Landing Spot: Arizona Diamondbacks
The Diamondbacks need pitching, and they obviously have more familiarity with Kelly than any other team. He’s also an Arizona man, as he played high school ball in Scottsdale and college ball in Prescott and Tempe long before he made his way to Phoenix to pitch for the D-backs.
Prediction: Signs with Diamondbacks on 2-year, $28 million contract
