Since winning the National League pennant in 2023, the Arizona Diamondbacks' path in the National League has proven to be much more arduous. Despite posting winning records in two of the last three seasons, the Diamondbacks have failed to make the playoffs.

For Arizona, manager Torey Lovullo and general manager Mike Hazen will lead the charge into the immediate future after the former signed a contract extension on Oct. 1 that will keep him in the building for two more years.

While leadership is largely remaining the same, the Diamondbacks have to make personnel changes if they are going to be a better team. The biggest offseason needs for the Diamondbacks are left-handed hitting and bullpen production, according to The Athletic's Jim Bowden, who is also a former MLB executive.

The moves Arizona can make may be limited by the desire of owner Ken Kendrick to trim payroll. If Hazen has less money to work with this offseason, who should he target for bullpen help? 

Right-handed reliever Bryan Abreu could be an option. 

According to recent contract projections for free agents that were constructed by ESPN MLB Insider Kiley McDaniel, Abreu is expected to get a one-year deal worth $10.5 million. 

This is interesting because, as McDaniel notes, Abreu was one of baseball's best relievers in 2025 when he posted a 2.28 ERA. However, outside of improving his win-loss record from 3-4 in 2025 to 6-4 in 2026, Abreu experienced a decline in every other category.

Abreu appeared in 66 games for the Houston Astros in 2026, which was four fewer than the season prior, and his ERA worsened to 3.73 while his WHIP went from 1.15 to 1.36. After posting a career-high 105 strikeouts in 2025, which also marked his third straight season of 100 or more strikeouts, Abreu logged just 80 in 2026 while walking a career-high 41 batters.

So, while all the metrics definitively show that Abreu was worse in the 2026 season, why should the Diamondbacks take a chance on him? 

In a way, it ties back to Kendrick. 

If Arizona is working around financial constraints, a one-year deal for Abreu, especially at the value that McDaniel is projecting, could be beneficial for the Diamondbacks.

Sure, Abreu is coming off an average season at best by his standards, but if he could return to form in some capacity, he would be Arizona's best reliever today. As Bowden pointed out, the Diamondbacks bullpen finished 28th out of 30 teams in strikeouts and posted an average ERA of 4.07. 

A starting rotation headlined by Corbin Burnes and Eduardo Rodriguez looks good for Arizona on paper, so taking a chance on Abreu might be worth it to give the bullpen a much-needed boost.