Diamondbacks won’t bring back pitching coach after 2 seasons

According to MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert, the D-Backs aren’t expected to bring back Brian Kaplan after spending two seasons in the Valley. Kaplan’s contract expired following this season, ending his two-year run after he replaced previous pitching coach Brent Strom ahead of the 2025 season.

Strom, who was with the D-Backs from 2022-24, was dismissed after the 2024 season along with assistant pitching coach Dan Carlson and bullpen coach Mike Fetters. Arizona spent that offseason looking for a new direction after a pitching staff that dealt with a slew of injuries finished 2024 with a 4.62 ERA, 27th in the majors.

Kaplan arrived in Arizona after spending six seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies in different roles on their pitching staff. He had a strong reputation for pitcher development, overseeing pitching development throughout the Phillies’ organization and helping create individualized plans for pitchers.

While in Arizona, the results were mixed.

The Diamondbacks’ pitching staff posted a 4.49 ERA in 2025 before slightly improving to 4.18 in 2026. Arizona also went from an 80-82 record in Kaplan’s first season to 86-76 this year. The bullpen became a relative strength in 2026, with young relievers such as Juan Morillo and Brandyn Garcia becoming important pieces.

It’s still unclear if other members of the staff will also be parting ways with the club. Manager Torey Lovullo agreed to a two-year contract extension last week, but said decisions would be made in the coming days.

Now moving on from two pitching coaches within the last three seasons, the question becomes who takes on that responsibility and can deliver the consistency the Snakes need to get back into the postseason.