The Arizona Diamondbacks finished the season 89-73 but missed out on the National League playoffs due to tiebreakers with the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets. Following the end of their season, the team made the decision to let go of pitching coach Brent Strom.
Strom, a highly regarded pitching coach in Major League Baseball, was released after the D-backs struggled with a 4.62 ERA and 788 runs allowed, ranking third-worst in the NL. Their .266 opponents’ batting average was also among the league’s poorest, trailing only the Colorado Rockies.
In addition to Strom, assistant pitching coach Dan Carlson and bullpen coach Mike Fetters were also dismissed. However, there is a possibility that they may be offered different roles within the organization, according to the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro. Carlson had been in his role for three seasons, while Fetters had been with the team since 2012.
Despite injuries to key pitchers like Zac Gallen, Paul Sewald, Merrill Kelly, Jordan Montgomery, and Eduardo Rodriguez impacting the team’s performance, general manager Mike Hazen believed that the D-backs had enough depth to overcome these challenges. However, he acknowledged that improvements were needed in guiding the pitchers to reach their potential.
Team owner Ken Kendrick admitted that signing Jordan Montgomery to a one-year, $25 million contract was a regrettable decision, as the veteran pitcher struggled with a career-worst 6.23 ERA in 26 appearances for Arizona.
Strom, reflecting on his time with the Diamondbacks, acknowledged that he could have been more demanding with the pitchers. He had been with the team for three seasons following a successful coaching career with the Houston Astros and the Kansas City Royals. Strom, who initially planned to retire before joining the D-backs, had a brief MLB pitching career before transitioning to coaching in 1992.