Diamondbacks Shake Up Pitching Staff: Strom, Carlson, Fetters Out

Diamondbacks Fire Pitching Coach Brent Strom

The news of the firing comes after DBacks owner Ken Kendrick blamed himself for signing free agent pitcher Jordan Montgomery. Kendrick was the one who suggested to the front office that they sign the left-hander after Eduardo Rodriguez went down with a shoulder injury. Kendrick will possibly see more of Montgomery next year as he has a $22.5 million player option in 2025 that he expects to exercise.

Strom, 75, pitched in the major leagues from 1972-77 with the New York Mets, Cleveland Guardians and San Diego Padres. Carlson, 54, pitched for the Diamondbacks in 1999. Fetters, 59, had two stints with Arizona as a player before joining the coaching staff in 2012.

He joined the Diamondbacks in 2021 after spending 11 seasons with the Houston Astros from 2014-21. Strom had a successful run with Houston, ranking among MLB’s leaders in strikeouts (1st), quality starts (1st), and ERA (2nd) over the past four seasons. He also coached Dallas Keuchel and Justin Verlander to the Cy Young Award.

Together, they silenced the Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies on their way to the National League pennant.

What’s Next

The Diamondbacks will begin searching for replacements, considering internal and external candidates. Potential options may include experienced MLB coaches or up-and-coming talent from the minor leagues. The moves also raise questions about the team’s offseason priorities. Will the Diamondbacks focus on signing free-agent pitchers or rebuilding through trades? As the team embarks on this new direction, fans will be watching closely to see how these changes impact the 2025 season. Main Photo: © Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK