Merrill Kelly expresses desire to stay in Arizona

Merrill Kelly has made it clear that he considers Arizona his home and expressed a strong desire to remain with the team. With his current contract including an option for the 2025 season, Kelly’s recent comments suggest he would be interested in an extension with the Diamondbacks.

Speaking before the Diamondbacks’ series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies, Kelly remarked, “I don’t want to go anywhere, this is home.” For Kelly, Arizona has always been home, as he attended Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale before heading to Yavapai and then Arizona State University. Since then, he has spent all six seasons of his career with the Diamondbacks.

Kelly also shared his frustration about not being able to play in the current series against the Phillies due to his ongoing recovery from a right shoulder injury. “I wish I could shut that crowd up,” Kelly said.

Which is nothing new for the veteran. During last year’s NLCS, Kelly noted, “I’d be surprised if (the crowd noise at CBP) trumped that Venezuela game down in Miami.” While it was originally looked at as Kelly “poking the bear” he ended up backing it up, pitching five innings in Game 6 while allowing just one earned run, leading the Diamondbacks to a 5-1 win, ultimately keeping them alive.

Currently, Kelly is on the 60-day injured list but is making progress in his rehabilitation. He has been participating in a throwing program and aims to return to the mound by mid-August.

Since his debut in 2019, Kelly has shown a progressive decrease in ERA, dropping from 4.42 in his rookie season to 3.29 in 2023. His strikeouts per nine innings have also seen a positive trend, rising from 7.8 in 2019 to 9.5 in 2023.