Despite multiple All-Star selections backed by very good talent, the Arizona Diamondbacks missed the playoffs for the third year in a row. 

Even with an 86-76 record, it was not good enough for Arizona to punch its ticket to play in October. Now, the front office has a lot to evaluate this offseason, especially with a looming lockout in Major League Baseball and a goal set by owner Ken Kendrick to cut costs. 

Because of this, it is highly likely that multiple players will not be back next season, but one player who the Diamondbacks need to prioritize is catcher Gabriel Moreno. 

Moreno played the 2026 season on a one-year, $2.5 million deal to avoid arbitration. This season, he demonstrated why he is worth a long-term contract. 

Moreno was a high-level player with a bat in his hands, and he led qualified catchers in MLB with a .311 batting average. He also had the best on-base percentage among that group (.388) and the best OPS (.874). 

Moreno also demonstrated that he could hit the long ball. He posted a career-high 16 home runs. He also notched 83 RBIs in the 130 games he played and in the 473 at-bats he took. 

Moreno did not receive an All-Star selection, but the former Gold Glove Award winner was a star in his own right. The Diamondbacks relied heavily on their offense in 2026, while the starting pitching was largely a disappointment, and Moreno was a big reason why runs were put on the board.

On the road, Moreno was a better player. In 66 road games, he posted a .331 batting average, a .396 on-base percentage, a .527 slugging percentage and a .923 OPS, and he also hit 10 of his 16 home runs away from Chase Field.

At home, Moreno was still good. In 64 games, he logged a .289 batting average, a .379 on-base percentage, a .443 slugging percentage and an .822 OPS.

Overall, Moreno was very reliable, especially when his team needed him the most. Through 22 games in September, when the Diamondbacks were fighting to get into the postseason, Moreno posted a .345 batting average, a .417 on-base percentage, a .571 slugging percentage and a .988 OPS.

His .988 OPS was the best he posted during the season, as he did all he could from an offensive standpoint to help uplift the Diamondbacks.

There is always a chance that Moreno could regress. We witnessed it happen with Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who had a historic 2025 season but crumbled in 2026. Still, even if the Diamondbacks want to cut costs, they should take a chance on Moreno, who is still only 26 years old.