Arizona Diamondbacks Set To Re-Sign Eric Chavez

The Arizona Diamondbacks re-signed veteran third baseman Eric Chavez, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Chavez was also in talks with the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees, though in the end he decided to stay close to his Phoenix home.

Chavez, 36, was one of the premier players in baseball from 2001-2006. In addition to winning six consecutive gold glove awards, he produced a .273/.351/.495 line with a 120 wRC+. His 29.1 fWAR was 14th in baseball over that time.

Since then, back, neck, and shoulder injuries took their toll on Chavez, and he played in just 212 games from 2007-11. He managed just a .236/.296/.390 line with an 81 wRC+ and 0.1 fWAR.

Over the last two years, Chavez has rehabilitated his career as a valuable part-time player. While he no longer plays the excellent defense that he did in his pre-injury years, he’s hit .281/.341/.488 for a 121 wRC+ and 2.4 fWAR. In 496 plate appearances gainst righthanded pitching, those numbers jump to .290/.352/.520 for a 132 wRC+. All of his 25 home runs have come against righthanders.

It’s been a busy offseason for the Diamondbacks, who have already made trades to acquire the powerful but flawed Mark Trumbo and Addison Reed, a back-end reliever. To do so, they’ve given away outfielder Adam Eaton and prospects David Holmberg, Tyler Skaggs and Matt Davidson. According to General Manager Kevin Towers, they’re also in the market for a frontline starter.

All the tinkering is exciting, but the Diamondbacks have traded away some very good players in recent years, including Max Scherzer, Justin Upton, and Jarrod Parker. They have a strong core of players with Paul Goldschmidt, Patrick Corbin and Gerardo Parra, but their minor league system isn’t as strong as it was.

The Chavez signing is a solid move, but if all this offseason activity doesn’t produce wins, the fans and front office alike will be disappointed.