Gabriel Moreno just completed the best season ever by a Diamondbacks catcher, reaching 6.7 bWAR and putting the franchise in a difficult financial position.
Before this year, no full-time catcher in team history had reached five bWAR, with Miguel Montero holding the previous high of 4.5 bWAR back in 2012, Yahoo Sports reported. Daulton Varsho reached 4.9 bWAR in 2022, but he played mostly as an outfielder with only eighteen starts behind the plate, according to Yahoo Sports.
Moreno finished fourth among all National League position players and is likely to join Joe Mauer as the only catchers to win a batting title, Gold Glove, and Silver Slugger in the same season, Yahoo Sports reported.
Salary projections and Moreno's career high in appearances
Moreno earned $2.55 million this year, but MLB Trade Rumors projects his salary to climb to $6.1 million for his second year of arbitration, Yahoo Sports reported. Team president Derrick Hall addressed the player’s long-term future in July.
“We love Gabi, and we’ve had those conversations in the past with him and I’m sure we’ll continue to have conversations with him about his future because he has become a mainstay,” Hall said, according to Yahoo Sports.
Moreno set a new career high with 130 appearances this year, up from 111 games in 2023, largely due to playing twenty-five games at designated hitter compared to just one the prior season, Yahoo Sports reported.
Derrick Hall on Gabriel Moreno and potential extension talks (via @Bickley_Marotta): “We love Gabi, and we’ve had those conversations in the past with him and I’m sure we’ll continue to have conversations with him about his future because he has become a mainstay.”
Trade Market Value and Catcher Replacements
Moreno’s trade value sits at a peak with two years of control remaining after a top-five MVP caliber campaign at a premium position, Yahoo Sports reported.
The organization has young catching prospects in Ryder Helfrick and Carlos Virahonda, though Helfrick was only drafted in June at age twenty-one and Virahonda reached Double-A last season with a debut expected no sooner than 2028, Yahoo Sports reported. Trading Moreno would only align with a full tear-down mode, making a deal illogical for an 86-win team, according to Yahoo Sports.
Comparing Moreno to Cal Raleigh's extension and performance
Evaluating an extension requires looking at recent deals for catchers like Cal Raleigh, who signed a six-year, $105 million extension with the Mariners in March 2025 before his sixty-homer season, Yahoo Sports reported.
Raleigh posted 4.6 bWAR in his age-twenty-seven season with two arbitration years left, producing a 7.2 bWAR season compared to Moreno’s 6.7 bWAR, according to Yahoo Sports. Raleigh proved more durable by averaging 149 games and 120 starts at catcher over the prior two years, while Moreno averaged 106 games and eighty-two starts, Yahoo Sports reported.
Long-Term Contract Risks and Catcher Aging Curves
Past long-term catcher investments offer mixed precedents, ranging from Buster Posey’s productive nine-year, $167 million deal with the Giants to Joe Mauer’s eight-year, $184 million contract with the Twins in March 2010 that eventually forced a move to first base, Yahoo Sports reported. Sean Murphy’s contract with the Braves also presents a warning sign, yielding under four bWAR across three years while still carrying two years and $30 million remaining, Yahoo Sports reported.
Thirteen catchers over the past decade have maintained a 2.5 bWAR or better at age thirty-two or older, suggesting Moreno could remain productive through the end of a six-year deal covering his remaining arbitration years and four free-agent seasons, according to Yahoo Sports.
Questions about Gabriel Moreno's contract, games, and salary
When does Gabriel Moreno’s current contract expire?
Moreno’s current contract expires at the end of the 2028 season, Yahoo Sports reported.
How many games did Gabriel Moreno play at catcher this year?
Moreno played 104 games at catcher this year, matching his exact total from 2023, according to Yahoo Sports.
What was Gabriel Moreno’s salary this year?
Moreno earned $2.55 million during the season, Yahoo Sports reported.
Which players have signed long-term deals with the Diamondbacks?
Brandon Pfaadt and Geraldo Perdomo both signed long-term contract extensions with the team, Yahoo Sports reported.
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