Merrill Kelly grew up in Arizona, went to college in Arizona, made a name for himself in Arizona, and now, he has the opportunity to retire in Arizona. The 37-year-old starting pitcher signed a two-year, $40 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks in December after spending the final two months of the 2025 regular season with the Texas Rangers. If the Snakes are going to make the playoffs in 2026, Kelly will likely be a key reason why.
He has to get through spring training first, however. The 2010 eighth-round draft pick is dealing with left mid-back tightness, per MLB.com's Steve Gilbert. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo says Kelly will undergo imaging, but concern is at a “minimum.”
Considering the veteran right-hander's age, the team will probably exercise caution. Arizona is once again relying on him to be a vital part of the starting rotation, especially with Corbin Burnes set to miss the first few months of the season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. Kelly does not need extra motivation, though. He wants to maximize the amount of time he has left in The Show, however long that may be.
The former Arizona State Sun Devils star toiled in the minor leagues for years and then spent four seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) before finally making his MLB debut with the D-backs in 2019. Merrill Kelly waited for what probably felt like an eternity to find success on a big-league mound, so he will want to stretch this dream out for as long as possible. The late bloomer still carries plenty of value at this stage of his career, hence why Arizona brought him back.
Kelly owns a 3.77 lifetime ERA through 1,008 1/3 innings pitched. He will hope for some good news and resume preparation for his eighth MLB campaign.
