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The Arizona Diamondbacks continued their commitment to securing their core and rewarding their top in-house performers. On Friday, the D-backs and starting pitcher Merrill Kelly agreed to a two-year, $18 million extension. The deal includes a club option for 2025.
“I joke about it with my wife and my teammates, the fact that I was in South Korea five years ago and now I’m standing here talking to you guys about a really solid extension,” Kelly said of the new deal.
“It’s been a journey, but I’m definitely thankful to (GM Mike) Hazen, (AGM) Amiel (Sawdaye), and all those guys for believing in me and not only bringing me back from Korea, but just putting a stamp on how much they do value me and how much they believe in what I can do in giving me the extension.”
Per Nick Piecoro of AZ Central, the 33-year old right hander will receive $8 million per year for 2023 and 2024. The extension includes a $1 million signing bonus and a $1 million buyout for 2025 should the D-backs decline the club option. The team option is for $7 million.
Kelly was the D-backs’ most reliable pitcher last season and was responsible for ending their record-setting losing streaks. He had a record of 7-11 in 27 starts with a 4.44 ERA and 130 strikeouts. Since 2019, his 372 2/3 innings pitched is the most for any player on their staff.
Hazen said Kelly’s consistency factored into getting this deal done.
“The thinking is starting pitching is a clearly an area for us to constantly be on top of the market,” Hazen said. “Merrill’s been probably our most consistent starter over the last few years. A lot of credit to the scouts that recommended signing him a few years ago. He’s been every bit of what we were hoping, and we’re hoping that’s going to continue into the future now.”
Kelly and his wife are new parents to a seven-month old baby girl named Hadley. He admitted the extension has made things a bit easier at home.
“I’m extremely happy obviously being home just having had a daughter,” he said. “I know my wife is probably even more happy than I am right now, the fact that she doesn’t have to worry about moving her and finding a place to live. But it’s been a journey and I’m glad that it’s culminated to where we are right now.”
He confirmed the D-backs approached him this offseason about the extension. However, the interest was mutual based on his desire to stay in the Valley.
“It was something that I was obviously interested in. Just knowing that it was going to be the free-agent year and there’s obviously not too many places that I would want to go,” he said. “That was part of the decision when it got down to it, in weighing whether we should take it or whether take the chances of free agency. I kind of racked my brain and went through all the different scenarios of where I could end up, and there really isn’t just too many places I’d rather play.
“Not only just because it’s home, just because of our situation here. We don’t have to move for spring training and go somewhere else and everybody involved. I love the staff, I love my teammates, and there weren’t too many cities that really appealed to me that could draw me away from saying ‘Yes.'”
Kelly’s baseball roots in Arizona run deep. He attended Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale, Yavapai College in Prescott, and Arizona State University. Staying in his hometown and close to his family made the extension that much more special.
“I’m really excited about that, the fact that my parents don’t have to fly across the country to go see me pitch,” he said. “They just have to drive down the street. I think it is pretty special that high school, junior college, ASU, and now back here. Pretty much my whole baseball career has been in Arizona other than my time with Tampa and the four years I spent in Korea. So the fact that I can stay at home and know that my family can come whenever they want, it means a lot. It’s pretty special.”
Hazen had a long list of reasons why the deal to extend Kelly for the foreseeable future is important to building their staff.
“I think the stability that he provides, the pitch mix, his ability to attack different types of hitters, he’s shown that consistently,” Hazen said. “We feel like he’s gotten better as he’s gone on. He keeps himself in great shape. He’s a leader by example in the clubhouse. All the things that I think as our rotation continues to grow and evolve — and it will. I think that stability and talent and performance is the reason why it was attractive to us.”
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