The Arizona Diamondbacks finished with an 86-76 record this season, but once again, it was not enough to make the playoffs in the National League. 

Now, with talks of cost-cutting measures coming from owner Ken Kendrick and a looming lockout in Major League Baseball, Arizona's roster is shaping up to look different next season, but in what way?

There are some players who will be back, but there are others that the organization needs to move on from. One such player who fits in the latter category is Ildemaro Vargas.

In 2015, the Diamondbacks signed Vargas, then a free agent, to a minor-league contract. 

On June 29, 2017, Vargas made his MLB debut and remained with Arizona from 2017 until 2020, when he was traded to the Minnesota Twins for cash. From that point, Vargas bounced around from team to team before finding a home with the Washington Nationals in 2022, with whom he remained with through the 2024 season.

After electing free agency following the 2024 season, Vargas reunited with the Diamondbacks when he was signed to a minor-league contract on Jan. 31, 2025. Vargas only appeared in 38 games in 2025, but his role grew significantly this season.

Vargas took the field for the Diamondbacks in 142 games in 2026, and while he showed flashes of very high production at the plate, he ended up reverting to the hitter he has always been, one who has failed to post an average OPS one time in his career.

Vargas took 453 at-bats this season, and he posted a .254 batting average, a .298 on-base percentage, a .377 slugging percentage and a .675 OPS with nine home runs. He does not strike out a lot, and in the bigger picture, that did not change this season, given that he appeared in a career-high number of games.

But from an individual standpoint, he logged a career-high 49 strikeouts as well.

Vargas had moments where he looked really good for the Diamondbacks. Through 22 games in April, he got off to a scorching start in which he posted a .372 batting average, a .393 on-base percentage, a .663 slugging percentage and a 1.056 OPS. He also hit five of his nine home runs and drove in 19 RBIs.

Vargas was also good in July when he logged a .344 batting average and a .838 OPS in 22 games, but both months were just a flash in the pan. When the Diamondbacks needed him most in September, he posted a .261 batting average and a .603 OPS in 19 games.

The good news for the Diamondbacks is that they are not connected to Vargas long-term. He played the 2026 season on a one-year, $1.2 million deal.

Vargas is also an aging player, and in 2027, he will be 35 years old. Therefore, it's hard to believe that he will actively improve in the waning years of his career.

It is hard to say what Arizona will do now, and if Kendrick is trying to cut costs, maybe he will instruct general manager Mike Hazen to bring Vargas back on another cheap one-year deal. That's probably not what's best for either party, but only time will tell.