The Arizona Diamondbacks continue to add more pitching depth for Spring Training. Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors reported that the Diamondbacks have agreed to a minor league deal with right-hander Thomas Hatch. The deal includes an invite to big league Spring Training.
Hatch, 31, owns a 5.24 ERA in 52 career appearances at the major league level. The Diamondbacks will be the sixth organization the right-hander has pitched for.
The Chicago Cubs drafted him out of Oklahoma State University in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft. Hatch debuted for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021. He spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022-23 before going to Japan.
Hatch returned to the States in 2025, signing a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals. After failing to make the Opening Day roster, he spent most of the season with their Triple-A affiliate. After a one-game cameo, he was designated for assignment and claimed by the Minnesota Twins. He finished out the year with the Twins as a long reliever, accumulating 33 innings on the rebuilding club.
Thomas Hatch’s Stuff and 2025 Season Dive
Hatch isn’t a particularly hard thrower, as his four-seam fastball averages just 93.3 MPH. He utilizes a six-pitch mix of a four-seamer, sinker, cutter, slider, sweeper, and a changeup.
The changeup ended up being the best pitch of his arsenal, the only offering that produced a positive run value (+1) in 2025. Primarily used against lefties, he held them to a .241 batting average against with no extra-base hits.
Hatch doesn’t miss a lot of bats, with just a 19.2% whiff rate. However, his one useful skill may be contact suppression. He is above-average at getting ground balls (44.2%) and limits the hard-hit rate to 38.1%.
The main issue is that the lack of swing-and-miss translates to a 14.5% strikeout rate. That problem is further compounded by a high walk rate of 11.2%. Those are the two things a pitcher has the most control over, so it’s no surprise that Hatch only landed a minor league deal with a tryout.
The expected metrics are much kinder than the bottom-line numbers. The opposing hitter’s exit velocity and launch angle data are the main inputs behind those metrics. Statcast credits Hatch with a .252 xBA, a .426 xSLG, .329 xwOBA, and a 4.58 xERA. His .344 xwOBA on contact rated much higher than the league average of .368.
Thomas Hatch’s Outlook with the Diamondbacks
Hatch doesn’t have a clear path to a rotation spot in the Diamondbacks organization, both in the majors and in Triple-A. After signing Merrill Kelly and Michael Soroka, the team’s rotation is full. Arizona plans to open the season with a starting five of Kelly, Soroka, Eduardo Rodriguez, Ryne Nelson, and Brandon Pfaadt.
The Diamondbacks’ rotation depth beyond their intended starting five is mostly prospects. Cristian Mena, Dylan Ray, and Kohl Drake are all on the 40-man roster and will need to stay stretched out in Reno as potential injury replacements. Given Soroka and Rodriguez’s injury history, it’s a given that the team will need at least seven starters to get through 2026.
Bryce Jarvis, Yu-Min Lin, and Spencer Giesting could get looks in Reno’s rotation as well. Giesting was a key omission from the 40-man roster in November, as the Diamondbacks successfully gambled on him not getting selected in the Rule 5 Draft in December. Jarvis is an interesting candidate, as he’s toggled between starting and relieving the past three seasons
One potential option is that Hatch opens the season as a long reliever for Reno. That keeps him stretched out for when injuries hit the big league rotation, and guys start moving around. While he shouldn’t be considered an ideal solution, he gives the Aces innings to get through the season.
His spot on the Reno pitching staff won’t be challenged until better rotation arms start climbing from Double-A Amarillo. Three of Arizona’s top pitching prospects are expected to pitch most of the year at that level: Daniel Eagen, Ashton Izzi, and David Hagaman.
Diamondbacks Add Former Twins Reliever on Minor League Deal